The Force That Divides Us
by leonsgriever69
Summary: A war in Galbadia has caused severe problems for everyone, including Commander Squall Leonhart of Balamb Garden, but when the news of death and an uprising rebellion organization comes into play,Squall realizes that he may not be able to escape involvemt
1. Prologue: Bad News

Okay, here's a new one from me that I will be working on along with Life Less Ordinary. I may throw in another one, too, and make it a story trio task. I'll see how everyone reacts to this one first. This story is highly different from Life Less Ordinary, and it may not appeal to everyone, but read and review and tell me what you think. Okay? Great!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. It belongs to Square, not me.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

**_Prologue _**

**_"Bad News" _**

He stared at the envelope in his hands, afraid to open it. The letter was from General Caraway; he'd recognized the signature. What bad news could be contained within this envelope? Instead of opening the letter, he opted to observe the envelope. It was white, a blinding, bleached white about nine inches long and about four inches wide. It had an almost musty smell to it, and he could picture the General writing this personally. The writing on the envelope was done in solid, thick black ink, and it was evident that work had been put in to make the appearance of the letter absolutely perfect. That meant that its contents were extremely important, but he only continued to stare at it, having no desire to read the bad news within. He wasn't guessing that it contained bad news; he knew for a fact.

"Are you going to stare at it all day, or are you going to open it? I was told to give it to you personality, so it must be important." Headmaster Cid Kramer stood leaning against the door, watching his Commander sit at his desk with the envelope.

"Why would I want to read bad news?" The Commander asked politely, looking up to his superior. The Headmaster frowned and walked to the desk.

"And what makes you think its bad news?" he demanded.

"The neatness of the handwriting on the envelope, the signature on the back, and the fact that you were told to hand it to me personally. That's how I know." He dropped it onto the desk and pushed himself away from it.

"You can't runaway from it forever. Sooner or later you're going to have to open it. Who knows, maybe it's not as bad as you think. You could just be paranoid or reading into this too deep. Hyne knows I do it all the time. Now come on, Commander, open the letter!" Cid exclaimed, finding his patience with he young Commander's stubbornness running thin. After all that trouble he went to, promising General Caraway that no one would see that letter except for the Commander, and the boy wasn't even going to open it!

"Later. I don't have the heart to open it and see the bad news." He stood and moved to the door but stopped. His eyes glanced back and rested on the envelope that still remained on the center of the desk. An overwhelming urge hit him to walk over there and rip it open. He had to fight himself to retain his self-control. His eyes lingered on it for a moment longer before he headed to the door again. Cid stood in his way and refused to allow him to pass.

"Commander…Squall. Promise me that you will open and read that letter. You need to know what's happened." Cid set his hands on Squall's shoulders. He stared Squall down seriously. The young Commander nodded, saluted, and removed himself from the office and headed down to the Cafeteria.

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"Commander, what am I going to do with you?" Cid asked, watching Squall's retreating figure walk down the hall to the elevator.

"When's he's ready, he will open it." Edea appeared at his side and rested her hands tenderly onto his shoulders. "Something tells me that he already knows." She, too, watched him enter the elevator and descend to the first floor. "You cannot push him. All in due time. He will open it in due time, my dear."

"Yes, I know. I just believe that he should not shall. This is important. He needs to know the truth." Cid said sadly.

"I know, dear. But the truth was lost long ago. All he will learn will be the facts. The truth he must uncover himself. And that will be a difficult process, even if he does choose to try. He may not even have the desire to know."

"I don't know what he'll have the desire to do. He certainly has changed. It worried me that he has lost the desire and determination to do anything, and this news may just keep him continued on that level. I don't want to see him lose what he had fought so hard for. I am afraid for him, Edea." Cid reached up and took Edea's hand in his own.

"He can handle anything, dear. He is strong." Edea smiled, reassuring her husband. "You jus have to let him do this on his own. He must prove to himself that nothing can change his will. He will be able to handle it. Yes, he will hurt, but it will make him stronger."

"I just don't want him to bottle himself up again and become that cold loner he once was. I don't want him to become a shadow of himself." Cid sighed and shook his head.

Edea didn't respond but patted his shoulder gently before heading to the elevator herself. She had other business in the Garden and left Cid to return to his own work and his worried thoughts. He knew he had to let Squall face this new challenge on his own, but it was so hard. The boy was like a son to him, and he found it difficult to not interfere.

Cid sighed again and returned to his office, making a mental note to be sure to tell Xu that he was unavailable for the rest of the day.

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Squall walked into the Cafeteria to find it empty, save for one table in the back corner. After grabbing a cup of hot, black coffee, he walked to that table to join the people he called friends.

"Squall!" Selphie exclaimed happily, seeing him approach the table. She giggled and smiled brightly. Her endless energy was just that-endless.

"Hi, Selphie." He answered her quietly, raising his coffee cup to acknowledge her and said nothing else.

"Good morning, Commander!" Xu said with almost as much excitement as Selphie. Again, Squall raised his cup but that was all.

"Yo', Commander!" Zell punched the air twice before shoving a full-loaded ketchup and mustard hotdog down his throat.

"Good morning, Squall. How's work?" Quistis raised her won cup to Squall, smiling warmly at him.

"Work." Squall replied. Quistis chuckled.

"Hey, Squall! Guess who's coming for the training seminar?" Selphie smiled again. She was just bubbling with excitement. Squall didn't say anything, so she continued. " Irvine!" She clapped her hands together happily. "It'll be like the gang's all here again!"

"Yeah, but the gang won't be all here. We're still missing someone." Zell pointed out. Everyone changed face immediately, and the excited, happy mood was now out the window.

"I know, but…" Selphie ran her finger around the rim of her glass. She focused on the glass and didn't make eye contact with anyone. It still hurt. "I miss Rinny." She whispered, and everyone heard her.

"So do I." Zell agreed. Quistis and Xu nodded in agreement with both of them.

" Irvine won't be staying long, will he?" Squall asked suddenly. Everyone looked up in shock at him, but his expression never changed. He still wore his look of complete seriousness. "He has important duties in Galbadia now, does he not?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm sure he'll stay as long as he can. It's only a one day seminar so he'll probably stay for a few more days. He may even come early. I'm not sure." Selphie shrugged and scratched her head unsurely.

"Right. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Squall acknowledged them again before departing the cafeteria. He needed to keep his guard up before his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. He was still tender, still susceptible to pain. He walked out of the Cafeteria, but he wasn't sure where to go from there. He couldn't go back to work. The letter still tormented him all the way down here. He could just picture it lying on his desk, drawing all the attention to its bleached, rectangular outside. He knew what it said on the inside. He knew hat there would be nothing good that it contained. How could there be? The signs all pointed to the negative effect of doom.

He sighed and found his feet moving him to the Quad, another deserted area. He maneuvered through the Ballroom to the balcony that brought him both good and bad memories. Nothing had changed here. The view was still perfect, and the wind ruffled through his hair just like it always had. He leaned against a pillar, looking out to the balcony. He was almost fearful to step onto the vine-covered concrete. His eyes looked over the area, and he could picture the scene that happened so long ago right before him. She had stood against the railing, watching the dark night sky. Ultimecia had just been defeated, and the world was at peace again. It was warm that night, and there had been a breeze. Her duster floated behind her while her hair waved in the wind. She had always looked so beautiful then, but she had always been so beautiful. There had been a lot of bright stars, too. The sky had been filled with them, but now, there weren't so many of them. And he had stood beside her, just watching her. They both saw the shooting star and shared their private joke before they shared their first kiss.

A sigh escaped his lips as he was brought back to reality. The sun blared down on him, interrupting the picture he knew so well and missed. He was not at the night after Ultimecia was defeated and everything was perfect. He was there on a morning more than two years after the incident. Perfect was not the word that best described the time now. He sighed again and turned his back on the memory and his past. His footsteps echoed throughout the Ballroom as he approached the exit. He stopped before he reached his destination, however. Turning, he saw the crowds of well-dressed people and the new SeeDs floating across the well-lit, beautifully decorated dance floor. He saw himself leaning against the far wall with a glass in his hand and a scowl permanently plastered onto his face. And then he saw her walk to him in that short, cream-colored dress. She conned him onto the dance floor, and they shared their first dance together. The song had been _Waltz to the Moon_. He knew he would never forget that song.

Squall closed his eyes and re-opened them again. The music, the laughter, and the people were all gone. The ballroom remained dark and dusty like always. He couldn't hide the pain he felt and was glad that he was alone. The emotion ripped through him like thousands of knives, but the pain brought by those memories was far beyond comparison. He forced himself to walk to the exit, never looking back, but he swore he could hear the last few measures of the waltz as he left.

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"Irvy!" Selphie shrieked, nearly knocking the table over as she saw Irvine Kinneas enter the Cafeteria. She ran to him immediately and he waited to pull her into a great bear hug.

"Well, hey, there pretty lady." He smiled and tipped his hat to her once she was back on her feet. She beamed up at him and giggled like a young school girl.

"Hello, Irvine! You're here early." Quistis stood and walked over to welcome the cowboy. She, too, received a big hug.

"Yeah, I know. I figured I'd come a few days early and see what you guys were doing without me. Not working too hard, eh?" Irvine raised the hat again and grinned before looking around the nearly empty Cafeteria. "Speaking of which, where's Squall?"

Quistis and Xu looked at each other with knowing smiles before returning their attention to the man before them again. "Working." They answered together.

"Same as always, man. Ya shouda known that." Zell laughed, and Irvine nodded as Selphie pulled him over to the table.

"He still bummed out?" He asked, flopping into a chair and draping one arm over the back.

"He's gotten better." Quistis tried to sound positive, but the sadness and worry made their unwanted appearance, like always.

"That bad, huh?" Irvine frowned. He had hoped there had been at least some change in Squall's behavior since he left. Apparently, there hadn't been much.

"No, he has changed. Yes, he's still a little tender, but he has become more open with his feelings, even if it isn't drastically. He's still a working process." Quistis reassured Irvine, who said nothing.

"We should be thankful he isn't suicidal. At least he has more sense than that." Xu added.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Quistis frowned again. Her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose as she looked down into the black substance that was her coffee.

"Hey, Irvy! You're around Deling City, right? I mean, being in Galbadia Garden, you've probably heard news of stuff that's been going on, right?" Selphie asked suddenly with over-excitement. She had an idea.

"Most of the stuff. Yeah, why?" Irvine failed to see what she was talking about.

"Well, have you heard any news from Rinny? Or even about her? Has there been anything?" she grabbed his arm and shook it ferociously, demanding an answer from him.

"Uh…um…" But he couldn't figure out how to say this to them. They should've known by now. It's been almost three weeks since… he shook his head. No, he wouldn't lie to them. They had a right to know. "There has been some news."

Selphie and the others stared at him eagerly awaiting what news he had brought. He couldn't believe that they were about to find out this way, from him. Someone else should tell them, someone more important than him. He sighed.

"It happened about three weeks ago. Rinoa…"

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Squall entered his dark office undetected by the Headmaster, which was a big relief to him. He didn't want another lecture concerning that stupid…

"Letter!" He whispered as his finger flipped the switch. The first thing he saw was indeed that stupid letter. It still sat on his desk in the dead center just waiting for him to read its terrible contents. As it rested on the desk, he saw it an intrusion, an interruption to his lifestyle. He couldn't work without moving it, but that required touching it, and he knew that if he placed even one finger on the envelope, he would have to open it.

So, instead, he opted to settle in the chair in front of his desk. It was an odd feeling, sitting there in front of his own desk, staring at his chair, viewing things from a different angle. But it didn't matter. No matter what he looked at or saw, he couldn't get the letter out of his line of vision. He could be staring at something, and he would still see the letter there in the corner of his eye. He couldn't escape from it. It was becoming a permanent intrusion on his life. There was only one way to make it go away, but he couldn't bring himself to actually reach over and pick it up. No, he couldn't do that simple action of taking it in his hands. It was like if he even tried to touch it, it would burn him like fire or plunge poisonous venom into his veins, spelling out certain death for him.

"Why am I scared… of a piece of paper?" he asked himself quietly. But there was no answer for him except the most obvious one. There was bad news contained inside that envelope, and he was scared of what it would read. He knew he couldn't handle any more bad news. He was too fragile as it was. He knew his heart and emotions were his greatest weaknesses, and those weaknesses had already been plundered by another. All he had left was to guard himself from any more potential threats that could break him even more.

So he just stared at it, fighting the urge to open it. He never moved, never spoke, only stared. His cold eyes ripped it to shreds in his mind, destroying it before it could destroy him. But he could wait, too. He would hold out as long as he could. His will had to be stronger than his mind and body. After all, he still had something to prove.

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The dark clouds that had been circling around Balamb finally opened up and large raindrops began to fall, saturating the dry earth. A young girl escaped the soon-to-be downfall as she sprinted through the gates of the Garden. No one was there as she approached the entrance hall. The rain outside began to quicken, and the sounds could be heard against the sides of the Garden. The young girl was relieved that she hadn't gotten stuck outside that mess. She viewed her surroundings as a wave of excitement flowed through her. She had never seen a Garden before. Everything she saw fascinated her, and she wanted to see and know more. Could this magnificent place...be her new home? The thought thrilled her.

Reaching down, she grabbed the only two bags she had with her. Since she was basically starting a new life, she didn't need much to get her on her way, just a few trinkets and some clothes were enough to keep her happy.

"Where to go now?" she asked herself. Her curious eyes scanned the entrance hall again and again for any signs of someone who might be able to direct her in the right direction, but still, there was no one. The whole place was deserted. "Humph!" she sighed and decided there really wasn't any point to waiting around a people-less area all day. She, instead, decided to improvise. There had to be an office somewhere, and by golly, she was going to find it!

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How long had he been sitting there now? Squall was unsure. He just continued his statue-like stare with no intention of changing his course of action. He knew what he was doing was obviously silly and very childish, yet it gave a sort of satisfaction, almost like a vent to his anger and frustration. His overwhelming pain was still there, though. He doubted if that would ever completely go away. The scar would still be there, reminding him of his past failure.

Even though there was no real evidence that he had done anything wrong, he still considered this whole mess to be just another one of his failures, another mistake he made that caused someone else important in his life to leave him. He should have just stuck with his original theory, and then none of this would have ever happened. He should've just made it very clear to everyone that he was better off on his own. No one can hurt you if you're alone, right?

Squall shook his head as his eyes slipped down to the floor. _What sorry shape I'm in._ he thought to himself. He was pathetic, no doubt about it, but he'd been this way for almost two years now...

He shook his head again more forcibly this time to get the bad memory out of his mind. He didn't need to remember the details. He had the bare-boned facts, and that in its self, sufficed enough for him.

He pushed himself off the chair and grabbed the envelope from its resting place. He was done being childish. There was nothing to gain from it but a headache.

Walking around the desk, he ripped the envelope open, sending a thin strip of paper flying. Inside, there was nothing but a sheet of bleached-white lined paper complete with a single paragraph of black- inked writing.

As he read the letter, his heart shattered into a thousand, emendable pieces. He shook his head as he read that one, painstaking line over and over in disbelief. He fell into his chair with his eyes still glued to the paper and its contents. He stared at it for several more minutes before letting the paper fall from his hands onto the desk. A single tear fell from his eyes as he read the entire letter one last time.

_To Commander Squall Leonhart,_

_It is with great pain that I write to you bad news. As you may already know, there have been conflicts with the Galbadian Government as of late. It is even more unfortunate that I must report that Rinoa Heartilly, my only daughter, has been involved in such conflicts. Several months ago, she helped an organization known simply as the Underground rebel against the President. She, along with other members of this organization, were caught and arrested, Now brings me to the worst news of all. Exactly two weeks ago, the trial was held, and Rinoa was found guilty and executed. I apologize that you are being informed so late; the shock is still too great. Rinoa has been buried alongside her mother, and may her young soul rest in peace._

_My Sympathies,_

_General J.F. Caraway_

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Headmaster Cid Kramer held both of Edea's hands in his as he watched Squall take the bad news. The young Commander's hand released the letter, and he pushed himself away from it. The obvious display of pain and sadness rested on his features. Headmaster Cid witnessed a tear fall from his face, and he was immediately filled with regret of giving the Commander the letter. It was going to kill him, drive him further into depression. He had managed to hide his problem, act normal to a certain extent, but now, the headmaster feared that this would hurt him beyond repair. Discovering the death of a loved one was no laughing matter. It could hurt beyond repair.

"He's not going to make it, is he?" Cid asked of his wife who watched the young man she had helped raise with sad eyes. She considered Squall a child of her own, as she did all the children she had raised at the orphanage. She felt and understood his pain, but she could only pray that he would not wander too far from the light of hope.

"I certainly hope he will. This is another painful, wounding moment in his life. At first, he will be very depressed and even angry, but he will overcome this. He must. It is imperative that he survives these rough times. He is a leader, and he must show that he is strong enough to prevail even when his world has been turned upside-down. I am sure that he can get through this, but it will take everyone to make sure that he does not hurt himself or others. Depression can be an ugly thing." Edea relied very sadly as she continued to watch him.

"Yes. I will make sure that everyone knows to be there as a strength for him. We cannot afford to lose him." Cid released his wife's hand and turned in the direction of the elevator.

"There is a fine line between support and pity. Make sure that everyone understands that. Pity will not strengthen him. He does not need pity but the support of friends and comrades." Edea warned her husband. He stopped and nodded, understanding her words before leaving the floor to find the others.

Edea turned back to Squall. He was not taking this news well, but who could blame him? He had just received the news of the death of a woman he cared deeply about. It was impossible to take news of this magnitude well. It had to be too painful to bear.

"Be strong, my child. Be strong. The truth is not always what it may seem." Edea whispered quietly before gracefully retreating in the same direction as her husband.

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The young still stood in the entrance hall. She was lost, unsure as to where she would find this office.

"This is ridiculous!" she exclaimed, looking around for anyone who might know where to direct her. Still, there was no one. "Why couldn't they tell them I was coming? Grr!" she stomped her foot impatiently, nearly knocking over her bag that stood close behind her.

The elevator that stood at the top of the stairs opened suddenly, revealing an older man with glasses, looking very distinguished in his old age. The young woman determined immediately that he looked like a worthy fellow to ask for directions.

"Excuse me! Sir!" she left her bags where they sat and ran up the stairs to him. He waited patiently for her to reach him. "Excuse me, sir, but I'm new here. Could you please direct me to the main office where I could perhaps obtain my schedule?" she asked kindly.

The older man nodded, smiling kindly at her. "Certainly. Take this elevator to the third floor. Someone should be able to help you there. I hope you enjoy your stay here at Balamb Garden." He bowed to her and then excused himself, descending down the stairs to his destination, leaving her there.

"Well, gee, thanks," she rolled her eyes and returned to the place where she had left her bags. "Next time, tell them I'm coming ahead of time." She growled to no one in particular before grabbing her bags and proceeding back up the stairs to the elevator.

She followed the old man's instructions and arrived at the third floor and immediately laid eyes on a woman she knew very well: Edea Kramer.

"Edea!" she dropped her books and hurried over to the woman, who opened her arms to her.

"Alexis!" Edea wrapped her arms around the young girl and hugged her tightly. "You look so well!" she stepped back to take a look at her and smiled warmly in seeing, indeed, that she was well.

"So do you! Oh, Edea! It's been so long!" she hugged the woman again, evidently ecstatic to see her.

Edea and Alexis talked for several minutes before Edea escorted Alexis to the first floor again and into the Cafeteria to meet some members of SeeD and get her schedule.

Alexis Dormait, at this time, was a young girl of fifteen who had come to Balamb Garden after the death of her parents, or rather, that's what she told everyone. Alexis' intentions for coming to Balamb may have been for other reasons, but she told everyone it was because she had nowhere else to go. Alexis was about five three with long, luscious brown hair, pulled back into a ponytail with the exception of a strand of hair that fell across her left shoulder. This style was her trademark, and it could always be seen in plain sight no matter in what style she wore her hair. Alexis was a very down-to-earth kind of girl, and she always had a simple way of doing things. In a way, she reminded people of Rinoa, and some wondered if she had known her better than she revealed. In fact, there was a connection between Rinoa Heartilly and Alexis Dormait, but the nature of that relationship shall remain disclosed until the proper time comes to reveal it.

Alexis, soon after moving into Balamb Garden, passed her SeeD test and joined the team under Squall's command as the fifth and final member. From then on out, Alexis remained with this team and had an effect on everyone on that team including Squall.

After the news of Rinoa's death and the arrival of Alexis, five years passed without much incident. The conflicts in Galbadia continued until war finally broke out within the country, and that is where our story begins...

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A/N: This is the prologue for my new story that I hope you guys will like. It's an action adventure with a little romance. R&R please and Later Days!!! (Yes, it's still here!)


	2. Things Have Changed

This is one of my favorite stories just because of the way it plays out and what it contains. I hope you guys like it too. I may put a tiny little hold on Life Less Ordinary, but I haven't decided yet. I still plan to have a sequel for LLO, and hopefully I can get one started soon. You guys may have to encourage me a little bit! Here's chapter one. Oh hey, I made a mistake on Alexis' age. She's 17 not 15. That was my bad.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. I promise. It belongs to Square.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter One_

_"Things have Changed"_

"I said no, dammit!" Squall slammed his fist down on the thick, mahogany wood of the desk.

"But, Squall! You didn't even hear all of it! There are benefits in this!" Quistis exclaimed waving a thick folder in the air.

"Quistis, we are not going to get involved in Galbadia's petty wars. I've already instructed the Captains of Galbadia and Trabia to remain neutral. We're not helping either side. Let them kill themselves. They don't need our help to do that." He resumed what he had been doing previously before Quistis had entered.

"Now, Squall. Will you just listen for a second? The General is offering you 10 million Gil for the use of the top three teams of SeeD, and you'll be your own team. Squall, the Gardens could use that money! Haven't you been talking about wanting to make some renovation this place? Wouldn't that pay for it?" she tried to change his mind.

Squall slowly got to his feet. "Quistis, now you listen to me. Yes, that money would pay for it, but that is not how I intend on obtaining that money. I do not need people here getting hurt. If we help Galbadia, we will just be making enemies. The Dollet Dukedom is just across the waters. It wouldn't be hard for them to attack us. And if the General wants the top three teams, who would be here to protect Garden? I said no and I meant no. I am not endangering anyone. Understood?"

Quistis gave a brief nod, saluted, and dismissed herself. She knew he would never go for it. He wouldn't step foot in Deling City if his life depended on it. He wouldn't even go into Galbadian territory unless absolutely necessary.

The war in Galbadia had been o going for two years now since the combine revolt of Timber, Dollet, and Winhill. The people were getting tired of the dictating in Deling City. When the President ordered soldiers to go to the three towns, those in charge were stripped of their duties and imprisoned, and military officials were put in charge. The people didn't take too well to that change. Resistance groups were made up along with armies for each city. The Galbadian soldiers were pushed out, and the President was furious. He declared war, and the two armies have been going at it for two years now.

"Hey, Quistis!" Xu said brightly as she passed Quistis, who was headed for the elevator. "Any luck?"

"No. He won't get involved. He said it's for the safety of the Garden, but I can guarantee you that's not the real reason." Quistis sighed, pushing a hand back over her golden blonde hair that was in its orderly tight bun. Quistis hadn't changed much. She was still her strict, worrisome self since when she was eighteen. The only thing that had changed was her position. She was now Ambassador Quistis Trepe. She represented all three Gardens in diplomatic matters when she visited other countries. It was a great break from Instructing, but the only downside was that she couldn't go on any missions unless her team was sent out, and they were _never_ sent out. Squall led that team, and they weren't used unless everyone else had failed. They were the "heavy artillery" of Balamb Garden.

"Well, there goes 10 million down the drain." Xu frowned.

"I know. I just wish he would let his past go. The only reason why he won't do it is because Deling City is Rinoa's old stomping ground. He won't go there, and I think it's being childish." Quistis was starting to get mad again. "I mean, for crying out loud the man's 25!"

"You didn't say that to him, did you?" Xu gasped, clasping a hand over her gaping mouth.

"Oh, my no! If I would have even mentioned her name, he probably would've thrown me out of his office via the window. No, of course now! But, I must say, I certainly would like to. I know he's hurting and all, but we all are, and he needs to get over it. Moping around about it won't make it go away. It's something he will have to learn to live with." Quistis stated accordingly, showing absolutely no sympathy. "That was five years ago. He needs to learn to let go."

"I guess so, but he loved her, didn't he?"

"We all did. She was fun to have around. That should never have happened to her. She didn't deserve that." Quistis suddenly felt like crying, something she tried not to do anymore.

"I agree. She was too good of a person. Everyone misses her, that's for sure." Xu wiped away a tear. "Well, I don't want to stand here and cry. I've got to go talk to Mr. Commander concerning our budget this year. Sometimes, I wonder if he even sleeps." Xu forced a laugh and continued down to Squall's office.

That allowed Quistis to leave the third floor finally. She had spent the better part of her day on that floor and was relieved when she could finally get off. She had hated every minute she spent on that floor today. She preferred the second floor where her own office was. Things were quieter down there, where she had the opportunity to get away from it all. Currently, Quistis was the World Affairs Instructor, teaching about the growing problems of the future along with wars between countries in the past. Every year, around the anniversary of Rinoa's death, she taught a two week lesson on Sorceresses, including the Sorceress Wars and the tale of two modern day sorceresses: Edea Kramer and Rinoa Heartilly. She had always felt that her students needed to realize that not all sorceresses were evil, in fact, there were many in history who had been very pure individuals. Although she left out the finer details concerning the relationship between Rinoa and Squall, she did attempt to erase the myth clouding student minds that sorceresses were incapable of feeling.

Quistis sighed as she realized that it was getting closer to the five year anniversary of Rinoa's death in Deling City. In the high powers of Galbadia Rinoa was still seen as a national traitor who had been put down by the government. Quistis reasoned that Rinoa was put to death as more than just an example of what would happen to others who followed, but as an example that social status would not help one escape punishment for treason. Still, Rinoa had no right to die. She was a good person who only wanted the best for her country, and Quistis refused to believe that her efforts were left in vain.

Quistis sat behind here desk, lost in thought and failed to hear the knocking on her office door or the see the person entering her dark fortress. It was a young girl who knew the Instructor rather well.

"Quistis, why in Hyne's name are you sitting in the dark?" she asked, flipping the light switch, flooding the entire room. Quistis shrieked in surprise and looked up to find her companion smirking and tapping her foot lightly.

"Alexis! You scared me!" She stood quickly and retained her composure, which she found more difficult than originally expected.

"Well, you shouldn't have been so closed up, than should you?" Alexis teased playfully. Quistis smiled softly at Alexis' light-heartedness.

"I suppose not. What can I help you with, Alexis?" Quistis asked.

"Always so formal, aren't you Quistis?" Alexis dropped down into the hard wooden chair that sat in front of the desk. Quistis followed and reseated herself as well.

"Yes, I guess I am. It's a habit." Quistis smiled again and leaned back, still waiting for Alexis to tell her what she wanted. "What do you need, Alexis?"

"Um, well, you see," Now she seemed nervous. "I've been here for five years now, well, close to it anyway, but every year everyone, especially our team, seems to get all depressed. There's name that floats around, but that's all I know. I was wondering if you could tell me why everyone is always so depressed around this time."

Quistis almost didn't want to answer her, but she was shocked that no one had bothered to explain to Alexis what had happened all that time ago. Alexis had been here with the team for five years now. She had gained the friendship and respect of everyone else and yet no one had bothered to explain to her that something horrible had happened to all of them.

"Well, I suppose it was the very first day you came here. Squall had received a very personal letter from General Caraway of Galbadia. The letter contained horrible news that a very close friend of ours had been killed. She was a wonderful person who never deserved what happened to her, but by the time the news had reached us, it was beyond our control." Quistis replied. It pained her to talk about this, but she felt that Alexis deserved the truth.

"How did she die?" Alexis asked calmly, trying not to seem nervous. She felt like she was asking about something forbidden, like a secret, never meant to be told.

"Execution," Quistis spoke the word as she looked down to her desk. It was difficult to say, but she managed to force it out anyway.

"Execution?" Alexis' eyes grew large in shock. "She was executed?"

"Yes, it was very unfortunate, and I still wished that we would have known sooner because we might have been able to stop it." Quistis stood up again and walked over to a filing cabinet. Her body was stiff as she tried to conceal her emotions.

"Why was she executed?" The younger girl asked.

"Treason against her country, but she did nothing wrong. She was trying to help a town that she cared very much about gain its independence, and the Galbadian Government saw it as an act of treason. She was captured, tried, and then executed within a matted of weeks. It was done so fast and hidden from the rest of the world. We found out from her father, General Caraway." Quistis explained. "Ever since then, our team and others who knew her well hold a ceremony in her honor. It's the least we can do since we couldn't get to her in time." she shook her head. "We never even knew that she was in trouble."

"That's horrible, but you can't blame yourselves. It's not your fault." Alexis smiled, trying to reassure her friend.

"Tell that to Squall. He took the blow the hardest." Quistis avoided Alexis' eyes and tried to focus on the work before her.

'Is that why he locks himself up around this time?" Alexis asked. She was twirling her trademark strand of hair around her middle and index finger.

"Yes. Alexis, you must understand that we all loved her. She was a wonderful person who was cheated out of her own life. She didn't deserve that, so around this time you have to bear with us. It's difficult for us, especially Squall." Quistis stared at Alexis almost harshly. "Okay?"

Alexis couldn't speak and only nodded her understanding. Quistis scared her sometimes, and this just happened to be one of those times.

"Good, now I don't mean to rush you out, but I have a big lecture that I need to plan for." Quistis changed her harsh demeanor and smiled gently at Alexis now.

"Oh, alright. Have fun." The younger girl stood and headed to the door.

"Alexis?" Quistis asked, her voice stopping Alexis. "I hope I answered your questions."

"You did. Thank you." She bowed and then slipped out, closing the door behind her.

Alexis Dormait now stood outside Quistis' office, unsure of what she wanted to do next. Her entire team was secluded from her, doing their annual mourning of a close friend. She understood their pain. She'd once lost someone very close to her, too, but that didn't matter now. She'd moved on since hen. She was still curious and had questions that needed answers, so she decided to seek out Selphie.

Selphie Tilmitt was still as energetic and high-spirited as she had always been. She went back and forth between Balamb and Trabia garden. She told everyone that she still had a duty to perform at Trabia, and so she participated in the renovations and continuous rebuilds for the Garden. It's been seven years since it was decimated, and the Garden was still being rebuilt.

Alexis found Selphie in the laboratory on the other end of the 2nd floor. She was working with Quistis on a project that involved magic at Squall's orders. Alexis didn't know very much about the project, but she really didn't care either. Magic really wasn't her thing.

"Knock, knock!" She said as she opened the door to the lab.

Selphie turned around and smiled as she removed her safety glasses. "Hey, Lexy!" she stopped what she was doing and walked over to Alexis to hug her. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing really, just trying to keep myself entertained. Are you still working on that magic thing for Squall?" she asked.

"Yeah, he hasn't said what we're supposed to be looking for, but it passes the time anyway." Selphie sat down on a stool and removed her lab coat.

"Well, at least you're keeping busy. When are you going to return to Arabia?"

"Not for another few weeks. Squall needs me here, and since he is my commanding officer and my boss, I kind of need to listen to him." Selphie replied.

"Selphie, speaking of Squall, uh, I was wondering what his connection with Rinoa Heartilly was." Alexis asked. She was tentative to ask, but Selphie seemed a better candidate than Quistis or Squall himself.

Selphie's face fell. "Oh," she looked nervous now. "Lexy, I really don't think I'm the right person to ask, especially now. You should, scary as that is, ask Squall. He would be better person to ask than me. I mean, it is his feelings anyway. He should be the one to explain." She gulped, for once unsure of what to say. "Why do you ask?"

"Because no one ever told me why around this time of year everyone gets all sad and depressed. I never knew until Quistis told me a few minutes ago. I'm just curious." Alexis shrugged.

"Oh," she said again. "Okay, but I still think you should talk to Squall. It's dangerous, but if you really want to know, he's your best bet." She shrugged, quite unsure of herself.

"Okay, I guess if I want to know, that's what I need to do." Alexis got up and headed to the door. "Thanks, Selphie. I'll let you get back to your project." She headed out the door before Selphie could get a word out to her.

"Rats!" Alexis said in aggravation once she was outside the lab. She wasn't any closer to answers than she had been when she came in here. She really didn't want to go talk to Squall. Their relationship was not very strong. Alexis had never gotten very close to Squall. She had wanted to, but she'd never really gotten the chance. She sighed and headed to the elevator to try and accomplish the impossible.

She found him in his office, which she considered nothing unusual. She knocked and then entered.

"Uh, Squall?" she poked her head and smiled.

He was crouched over his desk, working on some Garden-related thing like he always did. "Oh, hi," he didn't even look up, so Alexis walked into the always dark office and took a seat in front of his desk.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Working on the ground plans for the construction of the Centra Garden." He replied.

"Isn't that due in, like, three weeks? Why are you doing it now?" she concluded that this was very awkward and shifted uncomfortably.

"Because I have nothing better to do." He answered almost tersely, shocking her.

"Well, can we talk?" The words were very difficult to get out of her mouth as it felt like her throat was going to close permanently.

Squall sighed and looked up for the first time to face Alexis. His steel-blue had grown cold and dull over the past five years. He kept his hair shorter than it used to be, but still with the shaggy look. The scar had faded, but it was still visible enough to remain a dominant feature. He'd grown over the years and matured, filling out into an adult. He was paler than he used to be, and he no longer wore his trademark leather jacket. Instead, he wore a black tee-shirt and dark jeans unless he needed to dress in his formal SeeD uniform.

"About what?" he asked, his voice tired and even annoyed.

"I know that around this time of year, it's very difficult for you and the rest of the team, and I apologize for being so informal, but I want to know about Rinoa." The end of Squall's pencil snapped and she saw him tense up suddenly.

He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing that had suddenly gone very unsteady. Alexis wasn't expecting this kind of reaction from him, and she felt horrible.

'I'm sorry." She whispered. "I didn't mean to hit a nerve."

He shook his head. "No, no. It's alright." He took a deep breath. "She was just a good…friend of mine, who died five years ago. It's just difficult." He struggled with the word "friend," and Alexis caught it but left it alone.

"Okay," she stood. "Thanks." She hurried out of the office before she made things even worse than they already were.

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Squall watched her leave his office in a scurry, and he felt an old pain resurface. It had been a while since it hurt this much. He leaned back and opened his desk drawer to pull out an old photograph. It was the picture taken a long time ago after Ultimecia had been defeated. He and Rinoa had been standing in the Quad when someone snapped a picture of the two. Zell had given it to them both later, and Rinoa framed it. It was one of the things she had left behind. He remembered that day, when she left. It had been the worst day of his life…

He held the silver-framed picture tightly in his hands as he looked at her. Alexis reminded him so much of Rinoa that it was almost scary. She had her personality and ever her caring. She worried just like Rinoa did, but they were still different. He had loved Rinoa, and Alexis was alive.

He shook his head, knowing that he needed to get out of the past. It wasn't healthy and everyone told him that repeatedly. They kept telling him that he needed to move on, find a new love, and live your life. But how could he live his life when the woman he loved and gave his heart to was died?

He had told himself many times that he would put her behind him, to forget about her, but whenever the task came to actually do it, he found that he couldn't. He couldn't just let her go, without letting himself go, too.

"You shouldn't brood on such things," A soft, female voice spoke to him through the shadows. He looked in response to the voice, but he found that no one was there and uneasily deemed it as part of his imagination. His eyes glanced back to the work on the desk, ignoring the bad feelings that he was suddenly stormed with.

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The day came before any of them had realized it was upon them. It started with a cold, drizzling downpour that lasted for most of the day. Everyone knew this was the day to avoid the commander and the rest of the team. Several parts of the Garden were draped in black, symbolizing the memorial that would take place during the whole day.

Quistis prepared for this day by placing a picture of Rinoa on her desk and setting up for today's lecture. Today she would start her big two-week lesson on Sorceresses. She felt that this was her duty to Rinoa that she needed to clear the myth and make the young minds see that Sorceresses can be good people, too.

Selphie began this day doing something else, working on the project. She kept Rinny in the back of her mind, but this project was dedicated to Rinoa and would have benefited Rinoa if she were still alive today. Selphie didn't understand why after five years Squall decided to have them start this, but she also didn't think it was any of her business. So, she continued on the project, hoping Rinoa was nearby, if only in spirit.

Squall was the only one who actually dove into this day head on and took it for what it really was. The moment her got up, he went for a box of things that General Caraway had sent to him that belonged to Rinoa. He would spend this day locked away from everyone, just remembering the past when he actually enjoyed life. He relinquished in the memories he held in his hands and those he held in his mind. He hadn't been able to realize it or admit then, but Rinoa had been the one person he loved more than anything else in his life, but like all things that made him happy, she was taken from him. He was destined to spend his days alone, even if unwilling to make it different.

He hated this day, more than all other days, but somehow this one was different. In the past, he'd always believed, well, a part of him believed that perhaps Rinoa wasn't dead. Although they had drifted apart, he'd always felt something there. Some part of him still believed that he was her knight, and that part kept her alive within him, but today that feeling was lost. He actually felt at ease. He'd long wished for peace in his heart, and although he wanted to keep her in his heart and mind, he also wanted to let her go. She was a lost dream, a hope that died five years ago, and no matter what he did or believed, she was not coming back. He had her memory but nothing else.

_Was it time to let her go? Was it time to move on?_ He wondered as he looked through the things that had once belonged to her. He knew all these things that rested in the box, knew where they came from and the meaning behind them. At one point in time, she had shown them to him, or he'd been the one to introduce her to them. One item of choice was a deck of cards that she had won from him. She thought that she had won them fair and square, but he'd actually let her win. She never knew, but displayed proudly, like a little kid, how she had beaten him. There were photographs of some of their adventures and other items that would mean nothing to anyone else, but there was one item missing from the box: his ring. Every year he looked for it, and every year he never found it. It was either lost out in the world or it had found a new home with someone else who knew nothing of its meaning. General Caraway had told him that it wasn't on Rinoa when she was tried or executed, so he believed someone had taken it. But, oddly enough, the box did contain her mother's ring and the chain that she had once worn religiously. He'd never seen it off her, but he held it in his hand now.

He was interrupted by a quick knock on the door, and he quickly stuffed the ring and chain in his pocket without thinking. He rose to answer the door. It appeared that today he would get no peace.

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Selphie was still busy, working away at that project when someone entered her lab. It surprised her to see who it was, but she was excited all the same.

"Irvy!" she cried, jumping into his arms just like old times.

"Howdy there, little lady!" He laughed, hugging her tightly.

Irvine hadn't changed much. He was still the skirt-chasing, sharp shooting cowboy that they all knew and loved. A few years back, he took a transfer to Galbadian Garden to train the next generation of sharpshooters. He, like Selphie, went between the two Gardens, but since the war broke out, he hadn't been able to get out of Galbadia.

"Oh my gosh! We were so worried you wouldn't be able to come!" Selphie squeezed him again before finally letting go.

"I was pretty worried myself, but I pulled some strings and here I am." He grinned, lifting up his cowboy hat. "Miss me?"

"Of course!" she smiled, blushing like a school girl and grabbed the hat right off his head.

They sat and talked, catching up on old times before finally settling down and remembering why they were there together. They began talking about their last grand adventure with Rinoa before they lost contact with her.

"You know, this may sound weird, but I feel like she isn't dead. To me, I just feel her missing, but the reality of her being dead hasn't kicked in yet, even after five years." Irvine said, shaking his head as he and Selphie walked the deserted halls to the Cafeteria. It was quiet today out of respect for those mourning. Classes had been delayed and an assembly was being planned. This year, Quistis would tell her lecture to the whole Garden. It was a favor to Squall, but they all held a piece in it, too.

"I know the feeling." Selphie agreed. "It's hard to accept that someone we love is dead, and although it's been five years, it still feels like she's out there somewhere. I still think she's going to show up one day, alive and kicking."

"I wish, but I saw the body. I saw her lying there, dead as dust. I just can't bring myself to accept it. It was unsettling." He sighed.

"You were the only one, too. We only heard that she was dead." A small frown had appeared on her face. "That's all we have."

"Be thankful." Irvine took her hand and squeezed it.

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It was killing Alexis. It was just absolutely killing Alexis. She'd been at this library since five o'clock this morning, looking but not finding anything. She had books scattered out in front of her, but no matter what she looked through or looked in, she found nothing. There were basic facts, but she needed more than just the basics.

Alexis was looking for something, anything on Sorceresses and more on Rinoa. The latest books on the Sorceress Wars had only a little information on Rinoa, and websites were lacking, too. She couldn't find anything that didn't just mention that Rinoa was a Sorceress or that she helped fight off the future menace, Ultimecia. It was aggravating to the extreme, and she wasn't getting anything she wanted.

The librarian helped out a little, bringing Alexis new edition books, but nothing helped her find out what she ultimately desired to know. Apparently, everyone had protected the relationship between Squall and Rinoa. Everything about him saving her was erased from history. She needed to know about the bond. She needed the magic there.

"Well, someone's taken up reading!" Zell mused, walking over to join her at her crowded table. Every book on secrecy old and new sat on that table but none of them helped. She had a laptop sitting in a chair beside her, but it did little good, as well.

"No, I'm looking for something, but every last one of these books are obsolete. They're not worth a damn!" she exclaimed, finally losing out to anger and frustration.

"Well, maybe I can help you with that." Zell offered, handing her a soda. She took it gratefully but shrugged at his comment. Zell was another veteran on the team who hadn't changed one bit. He was still childish in some of his ways, but others he managed to mature. He was now the Combat Instructor, teaching classes in the Training Center. He was more popular amongst the cadets but not taken too seriously among the other Instructors.

"No, I think I might be at a dead end, anyway. No one knows what I'm looking for, or at least wants to tell me what I want to know." Alexis groaned.

"Try me," he smiled.

"I just want to know about the bond between a sorceress and her alleged 'knight.' Fairy tales say some things about them, but none of the books do. I want physical, scientific proof." She slammed another book closed and threw it onto the table.

Zell's eyebrows rose considerably. "Whoa. Uh, I thought you maybe wanted to know about GF's or some place. I didn't know THAT'S what you wanted to know about."

"Hey, you asked." she shrugged.

"I know, but I wasn't expecting this, ya know?!" He smiled wistfully, and Alexis rolled her eyes. "Why the sudden fascination on sorcery, anyway?" He asked, now changing the subject.

"Curiosity, I suppose." She shrugged. "That and I wanted to know a little bit more about Rinoa." She pointed to an open book lying close to her right with a small picture of Rinoa.

"Oh, well," he scratched at the back of his head rather nervously. He glanced quickly at the picture before shifting his gaze elsewhere. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything!" she cried out. "I want to know why she matters so much to everyone here. I want to know how she became a sorceress and how she dealt with that kind of power, but more importantly, I want to know about the knight. I want to know if it's actually true."

Zell sighed and mumbled to himself before returning to Alexis. "Listen, she was our friend. We went through a lot with her. She got her powers from Edea Kramer, and she used her powers for good, to help us. And she had a knight, but he died when she did, but I couldn't tell you if it was true or not. This is really difficult for all of us, and it kind of hurts a lot more when someone's there asking questions. I'm sorry." he shook his head and stood, making to leave. "I have a class to get ready for."

"Great," she muttered distastefully. "Now I know the true meaning of 'Curiosity killed the cat.'"

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As Quistis spoke to the entire student body of Balamb Garden, distinguishing the difference between fact and fantasy about Sorceresses, Squall sat in the back, watching and listening. He'd attended this lecture every year when it was still just in her standard SeeD classroom. He silently paid his respects for Rinoa here and filled in the cracks that Quistis left to protect him. He listened to her defend Rinoa and Edea, nodding in agreement as she explained the good that both of them had performed for the world.

Every year, he felt the pain of his continuous loss and turmoil, but this year, he felt different. The feeling from earlier that morning still lingered within him. He felt at peace, at ease with himself and his heavily-guarded emotions. Today, he was different. He felt new again. He still missed her terribly, but now he was able to let her go.

* * *

A/N: Well, there's chapter one. This story is definitely deeper than LLO and probably TGO, too. I hope you guys like it, and I realize it won't appeal to everyone, but it should suffice to at least the majority. I hope. R&R and Later Days!


	3. A Conspiracy Begins

Hello, everyone. As you have probably noticed, this story is a lot different from my other stories. This one is darker and more serious than my previous stories, but so far, I have been getting good reviews, so it looks like someone likes it.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Final Fantasy VIII. It belongs to Square.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter Two _

_"A Conspiracy Begins"_

"Our forces at Winhill won't last much longer, Angel. We may have to lose this one." A strong voice, belonging to an older man spoke. He leaned over a table, lit only by a small, dim lamp, hanging overhead. His hand rested on a map of the Galbadian Empire, marked clearly with battle plans, his face hidden just within the shadows.

"No!" A gloved fist slammed down onto the table. This voice belonged to a female, probably younger with a more impatient manner. "We can't lose anything to them! We must protect our strongholds and crush theirs. The first sign of losing a war is when you begin to lose your strong points."

"We can afford to lose one place. As long as we don't lose them all, we should be fine!" The other protested. He was obviously a veteran to this war game, but she was not.

"We can't lose them all! If the enemy even wins one, then they get cocky and hey get bold. They try stunts they hadn't tried before. It's how they're trained; it's how they win. They exploit weaknesses until there's nothing left, and then they conquer!" she exclaimed.

"Welcome to war." The man said calmly.

"Yeah, well war sucks." She spat bitterly.

"You're not the one out there fighting in it." He replied, still calm. It was unnerving to her.

"I would if you and the others would allow me. I've offered a dozen times." She reminded him, retaining her bitter tone.

"I know, I know, but we can't afford to lose you. You're the brains to our Underground, Angel." He pointed to the Centra Ruins on the map. "We need you there behind the scenes with the top secret stuff more than we need you on the front line."

"I know," she breathed heavily. "But I feel like I'm not doing my duty. I feel like it's not enough."

"Oh, it's enough, Captain." He moved through the shadows, pacing. "It's more than enough."

"We need more help!" she exclaimed.

"This is all the help we have. Our allies can only do so much without actually entering this war, and SeeD won't have any parts of it."

A wicked smile appeared on her face. "Oh, I'm working on that."

"How?" he demanded. "The Commander of SeeD won't step foot into this war."

"I have something the 'dear' Commander wants, and I have someone working to quickly change his mind." She was still smiling.

"Well, they're sure taking their sweet time, aren't they?" he snapped.

"General, the Commander is not so easily swayed. It takes some time." She replied.

"Well, time is something we have very little of. The tides of this war can change very quickly if we don' get some help or a new strategy fast." He replied. "Captain, something needs to be done."

"I can only do so much, sir, but I think I may have a way to buy us some time." She was getting desperate. "But it's risky."

"Captain, this entire war is risky." The General stated. "Whatever, it is, it can't scare me."

The Captain sighed. "Well, it appears that our SeeD 'friends' are working on a new project, something Dr. Odine tried but failed. If we can get our hands on this project, we may be able to deal a blow to the enemy."

"Go on," the General ushered her, intrigued.

"It appears to be at Balamb, which is right now the most heavily guarded. If we can somehow get to it, we can use it." She finished.

"Use it how?" The General asked, still not quite convinced.

"Take it right to the Weapons Facility and put the enemy behind just enough to move in and conquer." Her smile had returned.

"Captain, what exactly is this project?"

"We're not entirely sure, sir. Our informant hasn't been able to get very close. We believe it's continued work of Dr. Odine." She answered.

"Magic?" the General asked, full of wonder.

"We believe so, and magic is the one thing our enemy has yet to use."

"Indeed, well Captain, we need to find out everything we can about this project before we do anything drastic. Get two of your best people to investigate and tell your informant to get a move on. We're losing time, and we need help." The General ordered. The Captain saluted and moved to leave, but the General stopped her. "And Captain?"

"Yes, sir?"

"With or without that project we still need to deal a blow to that Weapons Facility, and I need you to make it so." He saluted her.

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"So, what's the situation in Galbadia?" Squall asked Irvine. The two guys were catching up in Squall's office.

"Not so good." Irvine answered. "The Garden is getting pressured by both sides to enter the war. It's difficult to remain when we're smack in the middle. We're less than 30 miles from Deling City and Timber is even closer than that. Squall, we may need some help."

"I've told General Caraway that we intend to remain outside of this war. He knows that!" Squall growled, aggravated.

"Yeah, well, someone's not listening to him because the pressure gets more intense everyday." Irvine answered. He removed his hat and scratched the top of his head.

"By which side?" Squall asked.

"More so by Galbadia. I think someone else is helping the resistance, but I don't know how long they're going to help them. This war isn't going well for the resistance. They're fighting hard, but it just doesn't seem to be enough." He said.

"I can't risk entering this war." Squall shook his head, unsure. "The Headquarters of the Resistance is stationed in Dollet. I can't risk the safety of this Garden."

"No one is asking you to, Squall. I'm just asking for permission to move Galbadia Garden out of the war zone. We're on high alert everyday, and the fear gets stronger. We won't be able to hold out much longer." Irvine begged.

"Hold you position for now. I can't authorize this alone." Squall ordered.

"Can't authorize this?" Irvine demanded. "Aren't you in charge?"

"Yes, but I need to consult Cid." Squall replied. "He would know the safer way to do this."

"Alright, but please do it quickly, Squall. I don't think we can hold out much longer without taking matters into our own hands." Irvine warned.

"Just hold your position. I'll do what I can." Squall tried to reassure him, but he was new to this game of war. Both of the Sorceress Wars were before his time and the last one he fought behind the scenes.

"We'll try." Irvine replied and walked out of the office.

Squall sighed as the door closed, leaving him alone in this office that he had grown to practically live in. He was in over his head, and he knew it. Cid had left him to make the decision on whether or not to enter the war. He thought he had made the right choice, but now he wasn't so sure, and that scared him. He needed someone with more experience, and he was lacking in that. Cid had, more than likely, chosen a bad time to retire and leave him in charge.

His hand reached for the phone, but he stopped before even one finger could even touch it. He didn't want to interrupt Cid with his petty problems when he was more than capable of doing them himself. He just lacked the confidence to do so. He could do all of this himself; he could be a leader or Cid wouldn't have left Garden in his care. He was still young, though, and he was still in need of help. He reached again for the phone and managed to hold it up to his ear this time but just couldn't dial the number. He felt like such a coward, turning to someone else to do what he could not. That was not a leader, and the people of Balamb Garden, cadets and instructors included, saw him as a leader, and it was his duty to be the leader they saw him as. He set the phone back down and pulled out a map of Galbadia, settling this problem for himself.

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It was a dark room, lit only by an oil lamp in the far corner. At least six bodies rested in the room, silent and withdrawn. The room was very small with only one entrance and a table resting in the center. One person stood, clad in dark clothing with a gun and a sword strapped onto the hip. It was the Captain, no mistaking it. She stood with such an authority that the others respected her.

"What's going on?" A seated member asked. He spoke deep and interested.

"We need a way to deal a major body blow to the enemy. Right now, the only thing we have is a rumored project at Balamb Garden. We know very little about this project, so someone needs to go investigate." She answered. "If this thing is powerful enough for us to use, then we need to know all we can about it."

"So, lemme guess, you need someone to go steal it?" Another asked. This was a female, and she sounded as tough ad nails.

"No, not quite." The Captain answered. "Unless I'm mistaken, the Commander was the one who headed the order to start this project, and our dear Commander has a habit of being over-zealous."

"Go on," the other woman spoke through the darkness.

"Well, he always takes notes and makes extra copies of everything. If we can look hard enough, I'm willing to be that there are extra reports on this project somewhere within the Garden." The Captain explained. "So, I want a team to go to Balamb Garden and get those copies. They should be in folders or data disks on the main system."

"So, in other words, you want a team to go break into the heaviest-guarded building on the planet, roto-root the main system, and steal top-secret project information?" This was a new voice that came from a younger, more arrogant member with a knack for sarcasm. "And we have to do this while the most dangerous man on the planet is in the building?"

"Bingo," The Captain smiled.

"Well, count me out of that suicide mission." The sarcastic one said.

"Shut up, chicken. You'll do it if the Captain says you have to do it." A new person snapped bitterly. This one must be the outcast of the group, harsh and mean to everyone.

"That's enough." The Captain warned. "No, this team must be skillful. To reach the main system, we're going to have to go through a few restricted areas, and that means tight security codes and cameras complete with trigger-happy alarms."

"Well, looks like I'm going," A younger female voice spoke for the first time, but she sounded actually excited.

"And me," said the bitter one. "I mean, since I know that place like the back of my hand."

"No, it's too dangerous for you to return there, and I need someone to make sure everything goes well here." The Captain said, striking down his hope to leave this place.

"You mean you're going?" The first man who spoke asked, surprised.

"Yes, I need to check up on something, and I know the main system better than the rest of you." She answered.

"Then this must be serious." The first woman spoke. She stood and walked over to the Captain. She was tall, lean, and muscular with two swords strapped to her back. Her face was covered with shadows, but she still held herself with an importance, much like the Captain. "When?"

"Tomorrow by the cover of darkness. We must travel through Deling City. The fighting should give us a good enough distraction from the enemy." The Captain answered.

"Oh, this suicide mission just keeps getting better and better." The sarcastic guy said.

"Why are you upset?" the first man asked. "You're not even going."

"I'm not?" He asked.

"No," the Captain answered. "I need you here."

"Cool!"

"You and him willl remain here in case the General needs anything." She added, pointing to the one who had yelled at him only moments before.

His face fell. "Not cool!" he exclaimed.

"Too bad, chicken." The mean one grinned, producing a blood-thrist grin. "You're stuck, all alone, with me."

"Great," he rolled his eyes. "Can't I go with you guys?" he begged.

"Oh, so now you want to tag along?" the Captain demanded, suppressing a laugh. "Are you scared?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, then realizing he hadn't meant to say that. "I mean, no! I'm not scared!"

"So, you'll stay then?" the woman asked, grinning wickedly to the Captain, enjoying this little game.

"Yes!" he proclaimed and then changed his mind again. "I mean, no!"

"So which is it?" the older guy asked.

"No way! There is NO WAY I'm staying here with Mr. Evil-And-Coniving! He's dangerous!"

The other guy just smiled, enjoying this. He had a new victim to torture now, just like old times. Sometimes he actually missed that fool when he actually took him seriously and took offense to everything that came out of his mouth.

"Believe me, he's not evil." The Captain said, rolling her eyes. She was glared at by both parties. "He's merely difficult."

"And dangerous!" They both added in unison.

"I don't think so." The woman said, glaring at the "dangerous" one. "A SeeD reject is not dangerous."

"I was never a SeeD!" He protested, snarling as he jumped to his feet.

"But you went to a Garden, did you not?" she demanded.

"I was forced! That doesn't mean I enjoyed it or actually became a SeeD. I chose not to take that path." He spat bitterly, obviously very defensive on this subject.

"Which makes you a reject." She replied, spitefully.

"That is not why I was banned!" He yelled. "What I did was much worse!"

"Oh, please, you fought against the Garden. I hardly call that 'much worse.'" She rolled her eyes.

"Enough!" The Captain yelled, stepping in between them. "This has gotten out of hand! We already have one war on our hands. We don't need another one."

"Whatever." He turned away and moved back to his spot in the darkness, snarling with anger at the woman.

"I want you, you, and you to come with me." She pointed to the first man, the woman who had fought with the other, and the excited girl who had chose to remain silent. "You two, try not to kill each other. I'll be back in a few to tell you what you'll be doing." She and the other three then left the room, leaving the two alone.

"Oh, goodie!" the sarcastic one said, flopping down into a chair.

"Shut up." The other commanded.

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Squall was leaning over his desk, map spread out displaying the Galbadian Empire. He was in deep though, mainly trying to decide what would be the best way to help Galbadia Garden. He had to protect them, but he also couldn't allow the Galbadian Empire to think of him as a coward, hiding.

"We can move the Garden out to the west some, just enough to get them out of the war zone." Quistis suggested. She leaned against the table, watching his movements as he concentrated on the map.

"Or evacuate." Xu added.

But Squall only shook his head, disagreeing with both ideas. He was formulating another plan, and they were left out in the darkness. He revealed nothing yet, but tried to test it in his mind first.

"Evacuating would allow them access to the Garden." He said. "That's probably why they're applying so much pressure to the Garden in the first place. It's more equipped for battle with a better training facility than here."

"Or they could be looking for something." Quistis added.

Squall looked up, puzzled. "For what?"

"Anything," she answered. "The Gardens deal in magic, and enough magic equals power. If Galbadia can get a hold on that magic and learn to properly use it, then who knows what they'll do."

"No, no." Squall shook his head, disagreeing. "Galbadia relies on brute strength. No, I doubt that they're interested in magic." He kept shaking his head, now disagreeing with another notion he hadn't quite voiced yet. His mind was constantly in motion, viewing this from the most probable, logical standpoint. He went over every imaginable option until he had ruled out every other one.

"What is it, Squall?" Quistis asked tenderly.

"Something doesn't seem right." He answered, doubtful. "Something's out of place, but I can't determine what it is."

"Are you talking about Galbadia?"

"Yes." He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the tiny beads of sweat begin to form on his forehead. What had him so worried? "There's something that doesn't quite add up."

"What?" Xu and Quistis both asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged, annoyed. "If they are looking for something, what could it possibly be?" He demanded. He ran a finger over the area where the Garden sat. "What is there that they want?"

"Maybe nothing," Xu suggested. Squall and Quistis both looked at her, indicating for her to continue. "Maybe there is nothing there, but they don't know that."

"You're not suggesting that Galbadia is looking for something which they suspect is in a Garden?" Quistis asked, shocked.

"It's highly probable." Xu said. "I mean, they could be looking for something in particular that they know is in a Garden but I don't think they know which Garden or what to look for."

"Do you think Galbadia will invade, looking for whatever they're trying to find?" Quistis asked, frightened.

"I don't know to what extreme the Galbadian Empire will go to. If it's something they need to win the war, then I'm sure it's in their game plan, but if it's something they don't really need, then I doubt they'll go to the extreme of searching every Garden." Xu replied.

"But the problem is, we don't know what they're looking for." Squall said, shaking his head yet again.

"We need to find out." Quistis declared. Squall and Xu looked at her, nearly appalled. "For the safety of the Garden, we need to find out what Galbadia is looking for. We cannot risk the safety of our cadets, missionaries, and instructors. We owe them that much."

Xu looked reluctant. "She has a point."

"Absolutely not!" Squall slammed his fist down on the table. "I said I would stay out of this war, and I intend to do just that!"

"Squall, I'm not asking for you to enter the war. I'm only suggesting that we get a team out to Galbadia to find out what they're looking for." Quistis replied. She avoied his "glare of sudden death."

"We're not even sure that they're even looking for anything. It could be just a scheme to get us into the war! Or, it could mean nothing at all!" Squall snapped.

"Squall!" Quistis exclaimed in protest. "You know just as well as I do that the Galbadian Military, no, the General of the Galbadian Military does not do something unless he has a very good reason! There is a plan floating around somewhere that directly involves us, and we need to find out what it is!" she was leaning across the table now, eyes fiaxed on him in rage. "They are trying to drag us into this war somehow, and we're not going to be able to remain neutral forever." She pushed herself away from the table and walked to the door. Her ager was overwhelming, but she wasn't angry at him. She was angry at Galbadia, just like always.

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It had only been five minutes, and they were already starting to annoy each other. They still sat in the small, dim-lit room, waiting for the Captain to return with their orders, and they were already driving each other crazy. They spoke not a word but sat in silence, five feet away from each other, ignoring the other's prescence but it wasn't working. In fact, that was the most annoying part. They could hear each other breathing, knowing that one was thinking about the other.

When the door finally opened again, it brought something of a reprieve. The Captain entered again and looked at the two, sensing their hostility towards one another. She smiled, actually enjoying it, their torture. She walked back over to the table and produced a yellow, milona envelope.

"Okay, here's what I need you two to do." She opened the envelope and pulled out an 8x10 glossy photograph. It was a photograph taken of the Weapons Facility in Galbadia, south of Deling.

"Why do I have a feeling that this will end badly?" the sarcastic one asked.

"because you are a pessimist." The Captain replied. "Moving on, I need you two to get as familiar with the Weapons Facility as possible." She pulled out a folded map of the Facility. "We may be infilitrating it, and I need someone who knows every inch of it."

"What's this about?" the arrogant one asked, confused.

"This is about you listening and doing everything I say, m'kay?" she asked raising her eyebrows at him. He just rolled his eyes and said nothing more. "Moving on yet again, this envelope includes all known weapon experiments. Look over the reports for these and others if you can find them. We've managed to link into the data base with the help of the General, but we still need to do a little more snooping. We only figured out two acess codes for top experiments, and it's suspected that there are at least fifteen." She handed the paper containing the codes to the sarcastic guy, who had now moved his chair to the table and was examining the floor plan.

"I take it you're looking for something?" the arrogant one asked. He approached her with a smirk on his pale face.

"Correct." The Captain moved to the side a step. She still didn't trust him. "Write down anything you find suspicious." She turned to the other. "And get me a clear path into the Facility's main core."

"Sure thing. I just gotta figure out the security system and get the pattern codes. No biggie." He said, drawing his finger along a pre-thought line.

"Just make sure it happens." She said. "This operation at Balamb shouldn't last no more than 48 hours. Protect the base and we'll meet you back here." She disappeared out the door but reappeared moments later. "And try not to kill each other. Okay?" They nodded and she disappeared again.

"Oh, goodie! Alone at last!" the arrogant one said dryly. "What fun we're going to have!"

"You can have all the fun you want, just leave me out of it." The other shuddered. He grabbed the rest of the envelope and inspected the contents within.

"Aw, what's wrong Chicken?" he asked.

"You're freaky and weird." He shrugged.

"Yeah, I know." He grabbed the reports and searched through them. He picked out two he liked and walked to the door. "Well, let me know if you change your mind." And he was gone.

"Don't worry! I won't!" he called after him. "I have no interest in your 'fun.'"

* * *

A/N: Wow! Look at that! 2 chapters in one day! Go me! Ha. Well, this is certainly getting on its way, isn't it? Uh, the strange thing with the Captain and her people is meant to be like that. You won't actually know who they are for a while, but they're original characters so I guess it doesn't really matter, then does it? lol. R&R and Later Days!


	4. The First Task

Well, I'm a little sad because no one has really noticed or even bothered to look at this new story, but you have to remember: the sequel to Life Less Ordinary won't come until I'm halfway into this one.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Final Fantasy VIII.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter Three _

_"The First Task"_

Squall was still bent over the map long after the sun went down. He still didn't know what to do and was seriously considering calling Cid to find out what he should do. But he didn't want Cid to think that he couldn't do this. He knew he could.

He stared at he map for a long times, trying to fixate on the Garden but his eyes kept drifting over to Deling City. Quistis' words kept ringing in his head. What if Galbadia really was looking for something and wouldn't stop until they found it? That would mean all the Gardens were in trouble. He was tempted to tell Irvine to confront Galbadia and demand to know what they were looking for, but he couldn't do that. He couldn't put Irvine or Galbadia Garden in that kind of danger. No, but he could get a team out there to do a little snooping. It was risky and could force him into the war, but it may be the only way to actually get something out of Galbadia. He was still rather angry with them, and this just gave him more reason to find out what he wanted to know.

The more he thought about sending a team into the depths of Galbadia territory, the more he feared for the safety of Galbadia Garden. It had been used in the past and a lot of innocent people had been hurt in the process. He didn't want to have that happen again and needed to get those who didn't belong in a war zone out of the Garden and somewhere safe. Balamb Garden wasn't as safe as it could be, but Trabia was the safest place of them all. Esthar protected it, and the Galbadian Military knew better than to step even one foot on Esthar grounds.

While he pondered this dilemma, his eyes finally looked over to the clock. It was nearing midnight, and he was becoming very, very drowsy. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to be thinking about this now, and decided that it was time to go to bed. He hadn't been sleeping well, and it was finally beginning to show. So he pushed himself away from the desk, and moved to the door. He was thinking about his bed and the sleep that would follow as soon as his head hit the pillow. He was so tired and so wrapped up in sleep that he forgot to do one important thing: lock his office.

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The four strangers appeared outside of Balamb Garden at exactly 12:30. They had traveled under the silence of the moon, hiding in the shadows until they reached their destination. Now they stood outside the grand building, formulating a plan.

"Where is the main system?" he asked the Captain, his voice low and raspy.

"Third floor. I'll need to get the access codes from the Commander's office and open the security system through his computer." She answered. "But that will only get you to the lab."

"Where else do we need o go?" he asked.

"Behind the lab there's a secret room. It should hold the majority of the project in there including the information we need. You'll need to disable the cameras and alarms. I'll do whatever else I can in the office and then meet you guys in the lab." They all nodded and proceeded inside the dark building. Only a few of the lights were still on, but there were enough shadows to hide them from any prying eyes.

Hey made their way to the stairs, avoiding the elevator for obvious reasons. The Captain led them, knowing the area better. Upon reaching the second floor, she handed a map to the man. "Good luck and don't try to get into the lab until after I've deactivated he security system."

"Of course," he answered and ushered the two ladies out, allowing the Captain to return on her journey to the Commander's office.

She had been prepared to pick the lock, but found that it had been carelessly left unlocked. This worried her. She feared that maybe the Commander wasn't done for the night or someone else had already been here. She was suddenly more aware of her surroundings and keener on every sound she heard.

His office was the exact same as it had been the last time she visited, which made things a lot easier. When she approached his desk, she saw the map that was laid out across it. She saw the lines that had been marled, indicating a possible strategy for the Garden. Something wasn't right about this, but she had no time to consider her doubts. She immediately went for the computer. She was able to enter the Commander's main profile with ease.

"This is exactly why you shouldn't keep the same passwords, Commander." She whispered into the screen with an evil, cocky smirk on her face. Everything was easy to access; she remembered it all from her last visit. She opened the path for them and set the timer for the system lockdown to 35 minutes. That should give them plenty of time.

As she stood to leave, her eyes drifted again to the map. It unnerved her. For whatever reason, it severely bothered her. She knew she needed to relate this information to the General as soon as she returned. Garden had declared its neutrality in this, and seeing this map made her wonder if perhaps Garden was helping the enemy from behind the scenes. She hoped not the last thing she wanted to do was wager war against the Gardens. They may be few in numbers, but they proved to be the biggest threat, and she knew through first-hand experience.

She tried to leave again, but once again, she was distracted. This time, her eyes caught onto a different item that rested on the Commander's desk. It was a photograph protected by a simple silver frame, and she smiled when she saw it, how happy he looked. He was actually smiling here, and she felt her heart skip a beat to see that beautiful smile. Her gloved hands reached out to hold the picture, and she brought it closer to her face, holding it tightly, eyes still fixed on him.

"Well, hello, stranger." A voice said from the doorway.

She looked up in shock, nearly dropping the picture onto the floor. She had to peer through the darkness to see the face, but she knew the voice well. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my productive informant."

The other figure walked over to the Captain, into what little light the computer produced to show a young woman. "I'm doing my best, but it's not easy. You should know that."

"I do, but we're losing this war. We need all the help we can get, and the Commander can give us that help." The Captain answered.

"It's hard enough to get through to him." She protested. "He has a wall. I can't get through."

"You weren't asked to get through his wall. No one can. You were ordered to persuade him to help." The Captain replied, her voice getting bitter.

"She did." The other pointed to the photograph still in the Captain's hand. "She's a real hero around here." She sounded spiteful and almost resentful.

"No she didn't." the Captain snapped, getting defensive. "No one can get through to him. He wants to be miserable and alone."

The other shrugged and looked at the Captain, full of guilt. "I don't want him to be. No one should be alone. It's just not fair."

Through the darkness, she could see the Captain's face flush in pure rage. "You listen to me, and listen well. You were not asked to come here and try to win over the Commander's love and affection. You were ordered to come here and convince the Gardens to enter the war and help us. That is your mission and I suggest you stick to it because if we lose this war I will make your life completely miserable. Do I make myself clear?" she was in her face now.

"Yes, ma'am." She said quietly, saluting her superior.

"Your country and your duty should come before meaningless love and affection." The Captain said, now backing off. The other only looked away, focusing on something other than the Captain and her total lack of feeling. The Captain watched her squirm, knowing she had hit what appeared to be a very tender nerve. She didn't actually care either. Someone had to bring her down a notch, keep her on track. This was more important than a love fantasy, and she needed to understand hat. Things would go a lot worse if the war was lost.

The thought of the war brought the Captain back to reality. "I only have a limited amount of time here and must get back to what I have come to do." She walked around the other to the door. "Get your task done as soon as you can. We don't have a lot of time."

"What about the picture?" she asked, pointing to the item that the Captain still held in her hand.

The Captain looked down at it and smiled briefly before returning to her companion. "The picture I shall keep, but the frame belongs to him." She turned it over and with skilled hands, slipped the photograph out. She then laid the frame on a small table that stood beside the door. "We should both leave now. I've wasted enough time already."

"I'll come with you!" she exclaimed, hurrying over.

The Captain whirled around to put a stop to her advance. "No! I mean, and risk being seen? I can't allow you to get caught and jeopardize you mission here."

"Fine, then you'll need this." She handed the Captain a top-grade access pass. "It'll get you where you need to be." She closed the door to the office and then walked to the elevator. The Captain watched as she pressed the button for the first floor and stepped into the elevator. Before the doors closed, she spoke one last time to the Captain. "You can't protect him forever." And the doors closed, ending their brief encounter.

The Captain looked down at the picture in her hand. Anger filled her as she stared at the other girl in the picture. She hated her, hated what she did and what became of her. She shook her head and folded the picture into her pocket before she lost all control and disappeared down the stairs.

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He was going through the papers, trying to figure out the security passwords. He sat in front of a laptop, nearly in the dark, save for the computer itself. His had turned out to be a more difficult task than originally anticipated. Every code he thought he cracked turned out to be still locked or part of another code. It annoyed him to the point where he was ready to give up. He'd been at this nearly pointless task for over three hours and had no leads. He pushed away from the table and leaned back in his chair. On the bright side, his annoying companion hadn't been in to bother him in quite awhile. Normally, he'd be paranoid, worrying that he was plotting against him, but right now he was more worried about the Captain. Why was she so concerned about Balamb Garden and the Weapons Facility? She usually wouldn't have anything to do with either one. Something was wrong, but he couldn't determine what.

As he sat there, pondering and daydreaming, his "wonderful" companion entered the room, breaking his concentration and peace.

"Hey, there, Chicken." He grinned, smacking him in the back of the head as he walked past him.

"I thought you had disappeared somewhere." He said, rubbing his head.

"Nope, I'm still here. You should feel privileged." He said.

"Well, I don't." he snapped. "Now go away."

"Oh, what's wrong, Chicken?" he asked.

"Nothing, and will you stop calling me that?!" He yelled. "What do you want? Seriously! I have a lot to do, and I don't want you around here bothering me." He snarled bitterly, hinting that he wanted him to leave.

The other guy only narrowed his eyes and took a seat next to his companion. His dark eyes looked over the word spread out in front of them, checking to see his progress.

"What do you want?: he repeated, slower and more agitated this time.

"Try 'magic.'" He whispered, his voice having fallen into a mode of seriousness.

"What?" he demanded, confused.

"Try 'magic.'" He pointed to the flashing "enter code" screen.

His companion rolled his eyes but shrugged. He wasn't getting anywhere, so what could it possibly hurt? He leaned forward and typed the code in. He sighed as another screen flashed, requiring a second code.

"17." He whispered.

"What?"

"17." He repeated.

He shrugged again and typed out the word, but he interrupted him. "No, the number." He sighed again, deleted the word, and then entered the number. A third screen popped up, requiring yet another password.

"What now?" he asked, turning to him.

"Caraway." He answered.

He typed in the General's name, expecting the screen to flash its "invalid entry," but that didn't happen. Instead, the screen began to display a series of numbers, pictures, and detailed paragraphs. It went blank again, and then showed what no one was intended to see.

"Oh…my…Hyne!" He gasped, shocked. His companion rose to his feet and exited the room without a sound.

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The Captain found the rest of her team within the 2nd Floor Laboratory. They had waited patiently for her, searching only the lab and going no further. The lab was left just as it had been, making it nearly impossible to detect that anyone had been there.

"Find anything?" she asked the only man who had accompanied them on their task. He was a good head taller than her with dark features. His eyes were nearly black, hair long the same down to his shoulders. He held himself with an authority that was second only to the Captain. He was muscular and slightly bulky, dressed in his normal attire- black shirt displaying the picture of a shredded Galbadian flag, black pants, and black boots, There was an aura of mystery surrounding him, intriguing her and reminding her of a part of her that she intended to leave behind her, forgotten.

"Nothing of relative importance, but we can't get into the back room. It requires a security pass." He replied. His voice was low and husky.

She held up the access pass with a small, knowing smile. "Like this?" she asked.

"Why am I not surprised?" he asked, lips moving only slightly to show just a hint of a smile. He reached out and took it from her hand to inspect it more carefully. "How did you manage this?"

"Our informant, although lacking her ability to complete a task put before her, has managed to come across some connections. I question her methods but at least she's making herself somewhat useful." The Captain sighed, showing obvious irritation towards the girl. It was almost as if she held some hostility toward her.

The other man said nothing but walked to the back of the crowded lab, winding his way past the various forms of equipment. The door was nothing more than a simple door, matching those in the rest of the building, only this one had a lock and code on it that prevented anyone who didn't belong from entering it. He put the card in the slot beside the door and without any hesitation, the door opened, allowing them to access what they needed.

"Bingo!" The youngest girl of the group exclaimed. She was the brainy one, standing slightly shorter than the Captain with light brown hair and gold highlights. She had a very cheery disposition, always happy and excited. She reminded the Captain of someone she once knew, and she smiled at her memory.

They walked through to the secret room behind. The Captain was surprised by what the room contained. She had been in most places in the Garden, including B-level, but never had she ventured here. No one had ever allowed her to do so, and she spent many long hours staring at that door, hoping to know the secrets it held inside. Of course, every attempt she made was left in vain, and on most occasions the Commander himself would appear just as she reached the lab and draw her attention away from it. She had always feared that he never meant for her to see, but this only powered her curiosity until now when she could no longer contain it.

This room was much smaller than the lab and lined with tables that contained scattered papers and books. Advanced lab equipment rested on every table and a computer rested in the far corner. Next to it were shelves, holding more information, possibly the dark secrets of the Garden.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" The older woman asked, eyeing this place with suspicion. Unfamiliar places made her uneasy, and she didn't do uneasy well.

"Information on this top-secret project." The Captain answered, heading immediately to the nearest table. "We don't have much time. I set the system lockdown to 35 minutes. I suspect that we've got about 20 maybe 25 left." She reached for papers, looking over them briefly, and if they didn't say what she needed, discarded them.

The man joined the Captain in her search and headed to a table. The younger, energetic girl took to searching the shelves in the back, while the suspecting woman chose to stand there and display her dislike foe being here. She glanced almost nervously around the room before seeing the Captain's heated glare telling her to help. So she moved to a counter that contained some equipment. One piece of equipment especially caught her interest. It was nothing more than a series of clear tubes hooked to a device that displayed a different color combination. She had seen something like this when she worked for that ridiculous doctor. She eyed the tubes and saw a certain color floating through them from time to time. It was a deep purple with spots of black within it and sometimes a dark pinkish color, too.

"Captain," she whispered, turning to face the young woman who stood only e few feet from her. "Magical equipment." She pointed to the device. She didn't like it, nor did she trust it.

The Captain stopped her task and went to the woman. "What is it?" she asked, staring at it curiously.

"A magic reducer. It holds magic particles and takes them apart, breaking them down in order to use them for another means or to study them." She answered. "It was developed by Dr. Odine. Why? No one knows."

"How would a Garden get one?" The Captain asked, confused.

"With the Commander's power, I'm sure he has his ways. Dr. Odine only made a few of them. I wonder where the others could be?" she asked, nearly amused.

The Captain said nothing but touched the tube lightly with her finger. It was icy cold, but it didn't hurt, only made her dizzy. She was mesmerized by it, concerned only with it. Was it the machine or the magic, the power, it held within? She knew not.

"Hey! I think I found something!" The younger girl called from the shelves in the back of the room.

They abandoned the magic device and headed to the other girl, the man joining them as well. She had found a folder thick with papers and a data disk. The Captain took the folder and looked through the pages briefly. She nodded occasionally, and after going through ten or so of them, shut the folder and tucked it safely under her arm. "This is it."

"What about the disk?" the girl asked, holding it up.

"Bring it, too. We'll get Cooper to crack it." She answered. She glanced over her shoulder to the exit. "We'd better get out of here. I don't know how long until the system lockdown anymore."

"And the room?" The man asked.

"Leave it just the way it is. Make them work to know that we were here." She answered, smiling.

They followed her instructions, leaving the room exactly

As it was, save for the folder. The Captain locked the door and retrieved the access pass from the man. She placed it on the first table that one saw when entering the lab. She and the three others then exited the lab and made their way to the stairs to leave this place for another time.

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Once he had finished gawking at the screen and had regained control of himself, he set out to find his companion. He had a few questions for him that needed immediate answers, so he left the little room and headed out to find him.

The base was nothing more than a series of tunnels and cave rooms. It was hidden well below the earth, away from any prying eyes of the enemy. They'd had this base since the beginning of the war and managed o use it to their advantage. All kinds of technology were stored down here, some they used, and others they saved for when the time was right. It was quite interesting to say the least. They were more protected than the President's Mansion in Deling City, even with the guards. The mountains and wilderness were guardians enough, but that didn't mean they were cut off from society. Oh, no. They had many means of getting in touch with the other side when need be.

After a long time searching, he eventually found his companion hidden away in the system control room. The system control room was nothing more than a watch room. Wide screens were put up, each showing a different section outside the base. Of course, they never really had to worry about invaders. No one knew this place even existed, and everyone was too busy with the war anyway to go exploring.

"How did you know that?" he asked, wasting no time as soon as he found him.

He sat in the chair facing the screens with his back to the other. " I have my ways." He answered.

"Not good enough." He snapped. "You know top-secret information, and there's no way you could have gotten it from the stuff the Captain gave us. So spill it!"

He finally turned around, anger displayed all over his dark features. Green eyes glared at him almost like a cat, ripping him to shreds with his heated gaze. "I did some things in my past that I'm not proud of, and I managed upon some information that I wasn't supposed to see. No one was, all right? I found it, and no one knew. So I took it and vowed that I wouldn't tell anyone what I found. But then this war came up, and I heard that the General's daughter was dead. I knew her well, and I almost had her, but I lost her to someone else. This angered me, but I couldn't do anything about it. I only told you because I know Galbadia will use it." He answered, speaking with a tongue as sharp as knives.

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"Nearly five years." He answered, looking away. He seemed ashamed of the knowledge he knew.

"And you haven't told anyone?" he asked, amazed.

"I had no need, and do you honestly think anyone would have listened to me?" he demanded.

"I don't know. It depends on who you tell." The other answered.

"No one would have given me the time of day. I'm branded as a traitor, an outlaw. Now one will take me seriously. Even now, no one will listen to what I have to say, so I just held onto it. I didn't tell anyone, didn't mention it. I waited until the time was right." He focused on something to avoid contact with his companion.

"So now was a good time to release what you've held onto for so long?" he asked.

"Something like that." He shrugged and turned the chair back around to face the screens again.

"Are you going to tell the Captain?" he asked, not letting this conversation end just yet.

"I kind of have to, don't I? It involves her more than anyone else." He replied.

"You've been with us for nearly three years and yet you haven't old the Captain?" he asked, alarmed.

"Like I told you, the time hasn't been right. There's been no need. They won't use it unless absolutely necessary." He answered.

"So do you think they'll use it soon?" he asked. He moved around and leaned against the wall so that he was now facing his companion.

"I think it's highly possible. The war isn't going well for either side, and I think Galbadia needs something to give them a major advantage. The Resistance is stronger than anticipated and is proving to be more of a threat to traditional rule, and with the death of five major leaders, including the General's daughter that gave the Resistance a strong motive. They'll keep fighting until they get what they want. They won't stop fighting. You know that just as well as I do."

"Yeah, but we're running out of steam, too. We're losing our motive. Casualties are growing in numbers," he said. "And people are beginning to lose interest and believing that surrender is the only way to go."

"Yes, but they won't do it. They'll find something else to raise their spirits." He replied. "Why do you think the Captain sent someone to Garden to convince the Commander to enter the war? Bringing in the Gardens to help the Resistance would bring up the spirit of the Resistance enough o deal a damaging blow to Galbadia."

"But can she do it?" he asked.

"He would help if he knew the real truth, but the Captain won't expose that to him. It'll be harder the way she's trying to do it, but if she can get to him, I think she has a fighting chance." He replied. "As long as she doesn't get too close. That may raise some unwanted trouble."

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She held the now crumpled photograph in her hands as if it were a prized possession that would shatter if she let go. Why had she taken it? She wondered this over and over, hoping to find the answer somewhere inside her. So far, none had emerged to end her torment. It was, however, good to see it this, no to see him like this. A smile had been something rare and to see it here, forever imprisoned in this photograph gave her a certain satisfaction. She could keep this forever as another memento of the time they once had together. Time that was cut short, robbed of them because he couldn't let go of his past. Yes, she was blaming him. She was accusing him for the future they lost even though she was just as much to blame as he was. She had loved him but that love wasn't returned. She knew he had been cold, but she couldn't blame him.

The Captain was sitting at the back of the train. Hidden away from the rest of the team. This photograph business had her completely reserved, occupying much of her thoughts. Part of her felt bad for taking it, but much of her thought it was her right. Why could she not have it? He had given her nothing to remember him by, nothing to hold on to. Although, she had presented him with nothing but love and her affection, she still felt she deserved more from him. She tried to fill his void, tried to be what he wanted, but he wouldn't let her in any farther. She got past his wall, but he only allowed her to linger for a short amount of time. He pushed her out before she could make a difference, before she could show him true love.

Her world was shattered then, when he pushed her out. She had never meant any harm to him, but he had hurt her. She fled, running away from him and that place. It wasn't as hard to leave as she had once thought, and he didn't come after her. She had hoped that he would, but he couldn't abandon his duties for anyone, especially her.

"Hiding from the world again?" The voice of the older woman asked her, stepping out of the car.

"I hide from the world every day." She answered, folding the photograph and returning it safely to her pocket but not before the other had gotten a glimpse of it.

"You miss him, don't you?" she asked, sitting beside her on the cold metal floor. They were at the end of the train, watching the world as they left it behind.

"How can I miss something I never had? She inquired.

"You had more of him than anyone else." She replied.

"I lost more of him, too." She added sadly, staring out across the blank, green fields of the Galbadia scenery, once her home.

"Get him back," she suggested. "If you still love him, get him back."

"I can't." she fought tears that she had not seen in five years. She's tried to abandon any and all emotions that would hinder her abilities to help the Resistance, thus giving up part of her humanity.

"Why not?' she demanded.

"Because it didn't work the first time, so what makes you think it'll work this time? He wants to be alone. He prefers it, so why should I be the one to prevent his happiness?" The Captain asked.

"Wasn't it you who told me never to give up but to focus on your dreams and goals?" the warrior demanded out of her Captain.

"I can give good advice, but I can't take it. And I've already given up, so there's not point. It's better if I forget him like he's forgotten me." She shook her head that last part obviously very painful.

"How can you be so sure of that? Maybe he hasn't forgotten you like you say?" The warrior suggested.

"The whole world has forgotten me! What makes you think he's any different?" she exploded, jumping to her feet in rage.

"I doubt if the whole world has forgotten you, Angel. You're the hope of the Resistance. You're the fuel that keeps it going, the glue that steadily holds it together. You can't say that you're forgotten by the world, or by anyone, for that matter." She replied calmly. She held much wisdom for one so young. She was 27 but still young by the standards of the rest of the world.

The Captain shook her head, "I'm a dead hope."

* * *

A/N: Well, there you have it. Chapter Three. I know, this is taking me a little bit longer than Life Less Ordinary, but I had almost ten chapters written before I even began posting, so this one is going to be a little different. Speaking of different, there is much to this story that is probably very confusing and even boring to you, but you have to trust me. It gets better. The first few chapters are used as an introduction, mainly for the Underground/Resistance and the war in Galbadia. If you haven't figured it out by now, there is a civil war tearing Galbadia in two. Esthar is vacant from this picture, and certain people are missing. This is kind of experimental for me, but I do believe that these next few chapters will seriously catch your interest, so please stick with me. Thanks! R&R and Later Days! 


	5. The Robbery

Okay, in my opinion, this is where it starts to get better, and you start to see what's going on. I went about writing this one a little differently than I had in the past, and well, you get the idea.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Final Fantasy VIII.

**_The Force That Divides Us _**

_Chapter Four _

_"The Robbery"_

Squall woke early the next morning, even earlier than usual. He'd been haunted by that dream yet again last night, but this time it was worse than before. He woke upright, drenched in sweat and panting. This dream had been invading his sleep for some time now, and until recently, it was the only reason why he believed Rinoa wasn't dead. For a long time after her death, part of him still believed that she was alive out there somewhere, waiting or hiding, whichever suited her best. For weeks he expected her to walk through his office door, alive and well, but it never happened and his hope soon began to fade. And then a year or so ago, a horrible dream began to take hold of him each and every night. Of course, it didn't start horrible but pleasant, and at first he enjoyed it. He saw in his dream Rinoa resting in the flower field out by the orphanage gently plucking the petals off a flower, but when she got to the last peal, he always woke. It went on like this for some time until a week or so later when he saw the next sequence. It started the same; it always started the same, but this time she would pull the last petal off and dark clouds would block out the sun, blackening the sky until it was nearly dark and then strong winds would come out of nowhere, encircling her. She would try to fight them, but they always overpowered her, forcing her to her knees. By this time, she was calling out to him for help, but he was paralyzed. He couldn't move, couldn't get out there to help her. He was just as helpless as she was. Then five men in black hoods would come from over the hills to her, one holding chains, another a piece of parchment, another a hood, another a staff, and the last a scythe. He knew what would happen to her, but still, he could do nothing. He could only watch with pained eyes as she begged him to save her from what was coming for her.

These men came after her, and the winds still held her, and she could do nothing but stay there as they approached her. When they did, they encircled her, chaining her. She looked at him, begging foe him to make it stop, but they tightened their circle until he could no longer see her. Then, they began to chant as the one with the parchment began to read its contents. Once he was done, the one with the scythe raised it over his head and brought it down quickly.

He only heard the scream from his own voice and everything went black. When he looked again, the five men were retreating and a figure lay crouched in the center of the circle they had once created. He watched the figure, afraid that it was his love, mangled and bereft of life. He feared for her, even though he knew she was beyond help. He would walk out to her, finally able to move, but as he approached her, he always woke.

It wasn't until the night of her five-year anniversary that he was able to see the rest of the dream. He went to bed as normal, late and long after the rest of the Garden had retired. He roamed the halls for a while until finally going to his own cold, lifeless room. It was his prison, where he was haunted by her memory and his past. He spent only nights and early mornings here and abandoned it during the day. That night, he was imprisoned more than ever. When he settled into a restless sleep, he was taken back to that horrible dream, this time able to see the remains of the nightmare.

He was walking to her, the winds picking up again, trying to blow him away, but she was left untouched. He was drawn to her, though, determined, and nothing could stop him. He needed her, but he knew he couldn't do anything for her.

It started to rain before he was even five feet away from her, but the distance between them was increasing with every step he took. A flash of lighting blinded him and forced him to stop. When he was able to see again, he saw that she was rising. He was paralyzed again as he watched her, fear displayed on his face and running through him.

She stood upright, back to him, clad in complete shadows. The winds were picking up again, blowing harder and more forcibly now. He called out to her, and she turned around slowly, allowing him to see her face.

She was now dressed in black jeans, knee-high boots, a short black vest, and two chain necklaces, and a belt that held a handgun on each hip and a sword, too. Her face was narrow like Rinoa's, but her eyes were dark and her hair was a deep red, longer and whipping wildly in the wind.

He called her name again, but she only smiled wickedly and said in a low voice. _"She's dead."_

Since that night he'd seen the whole dream, always waking as she spoke those words with an evil smile that chilled his bones. He saw her face against the white wall across from his bed as he sat up, usually an hour before he was supposed to be up when it was still dark. He knew the dream itself was symbolic, but he knew not its meaning, and he was afraid to tell anyone about it. He thought perhaps that Rinoa was dead but reborn into another person, but that was foolish. He'd gone through so many theories concerning this dream, but none of them seemed to fit anywhere. He was tempted to ask Dr. Kadowaki if she could give him something to remove these dreams from his already sleepless nights, but he didn't. Something told him to keep these dreams and maybe try to figure them out. They had him stumped, and he wanted to know the answers to its mysteries.

He got dressed, avoiding his own reflection in the mirror. He hated what had become of him in these past five years. He'd become a shadow of himself, hating himself for losing what he had tried o keep so close. He failed at love, proving that he should be alone, that he deserved this as something of a punishment. He knew he shouldn't blame himself this way, but it was easier to blame himself than to put the blame on the one who was dead.

He walked to his office, cup of black coffee in his hand, trying to avoid the thoughts running through his head. He was still thinking about that dream, how it haunted him, tortured him with that constant reminder of his failure. He could've saved her if only he would have gone after her when she left. He had thought about it after he discovered that she was gone, but he didn't because he believed that there was no way to get her to come back. It was gone. What they had was gone, and he didn't believe that they had any chance of bringing it back just how they once had it.

He reached his office without having bumped into anyone, but as he reached his hand out to turn the knob, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. He couldn't distinguish what it was, but he could feel it there. He moved to the side, putting his back against the wall. With his free hand he turned the knob and edged the door open with his foot. Nothing jumped out at him, so he slowly proceeded inside, flipping on the light before his entire body had even entered the room. He looked around, carefully going over every detail of the room and noting seemed out of place.

Having seen the whole thing Xu asked, "Paranoid, Commander?" she leaned against the doorway and watched him with an entertained smile.

He turned around, resisting the urge to act afraid or shocked. "No, something just doesn't seem right."

"Well, what's wrong?" she asked, entering the office to join him.

"…I don't know. Something's just…off." He looked around again, but nothing seemed to catch his eye as out of the ordinary.

"Oh," she said. "Well, maybe you're just paranoid. You seem to get that way a lot." She smiled again, but he was no longer paying attention.

"How long has the computer been on?" he asked, eyes trained on the machine.

"I don't know. I don't think anyone's been in here since you left last night." She answered.

He walked around the desk to the computer to read the flashing screen. "System lockdown's been activated." He said, typing something into the computer.

"System lockdown? Why?" Xu asked.

"I don't know. It's impossible to put the security program in system lockdown without my password." He typed in something else, but a look of shock appeared on his face. "Xu, get my team." He commanded eyes fixed on the screen.

"Why? What's wrong?" she attempted to walk over to the computer.

"NOW!" he yelled. "And tell them to meet me on the second floor." He typed in something again and again, but he kept getting an error.

Xu scampered out of the office and ran down to the Cafeteria, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. She found the gang in the back of the Cafeteria, enjoying their breakfast. By the time she reached them, she was out of breath.

"Squall…needs…to see…you!" she gasped, bent over trying to catch her breath.

"What? Why?" Quistis asked, jumping to her feet and going around the table to Xu.

"It's important!" she grabbed Zell's water and downed it in one turn. "He needs to see you guys on the second floor."

"Xu, what's happened?" Selphie asked. She and Alexis had moved to Xu's other side.

"Go, now!" she commanded.

The five of them jumped up and exited the Cafeteria, leaving Xu alone. She was till panting, breathless. She wasn't accustomed to all this running. She dropped into a chair and then noticed Zell's unfinished breakfast. Looking around, she reached over and pulled the tray to her.

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Squall was waiting outside the 2nd Floor Laboratory when they arrived.

"Squall, what's the emergency?" Quistis asked.

"Around 12:35 last night someone broke into my office and hijacked my computer. They unlocked the security codes surrounding the lab, and then put it into system lockdown." He answered.

"What?" Quistis gasped.

"Have you been inside yet?" Zell asked.

"Yes," Squall's face was very grave. "The information of the project I had you, start, the secondary folder along with a data disk is gone."

"WHAT?!" Selphie and Quistis exclaimed.

He nodded, " And I found something else, as well." He held up the access pass.

None of them spoke.

"This is an access pass, one of the six issued to the top team." He twirled it between his fingers, anger displayed on his face. "Who's missing theirs?"

Alexis' hand slowly rose. "I lost it a few days ago. I though it was just in my room somewhere." She looked afraid.

"Well, I'll deal with you later. Right now, we need to administer to the issue at hand. Quistis, I need you to contact both Gardens. I want them aware of our situation. Zell, round up the members of teams two and three. Get them stationed at every exit. Selphie, get in there and see if anything else is missing." They all nodded, saluted, and quickly went about their assigned tasks. When they were gone, that left Squall and Alexis. "I hope you know that this may be your responsibly."

"What? Why?" Alexis asked, shocked.

"Because this was your access pass. As a top member of this team, of the Garden, you need to be aware of everything. This access pass can get you into several restricted areas of this building, and it is imperative that you know the whereabouts of this pass at all times. You put countless lives in danger, Alexis. Think on that." He was furious at her, and she knew it. He finished his miniature lecture and turned to leave.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked tentatively.

"You've done enough already. You're stripped of all duties for the rest of the day." He answered. His tone was continuously growing colder to her. He walked away, down the corridor to the elevator.

Alexis just stood there, shocked that he could be so harsh like that. True, she wasn't completely innocent, but he was taking this way out of proportion.

Selphie popped her head out of the lab. "Lexy, don't worry about him. He's just a little stressed. He gets this way sometimes. It's just part of his job, so don't worry about it." She stepped out of the lab to hug Alexis. "Here, come on and help me."

"Selphie, I'm stripped of all duties, remember?" she reminded her sadly.

"And remember what I said? Don't worry about it. You know he didn't mean it, now come on!" she tugged on Alexis' arm and managed to drag the reluctant girl into the lab.

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Squall headed up to the 3rd floor to his office, regretting how he had treated Alexis. She had made one little mistake, and he chewed her out for it, but in his defense, her mistake had put the whole Garden in danger. Still, he felt he took it too far. She really didn't deserve that, and it brought back a painful memory.

_-Flashback- _

_"What were you thinking?" he demanded, his face flushing red with rage. He stood glaring at her and the destruction she had caused. _

_"I'm sorry. I-I just-" she was crying now, pleading in her apologies. _

_"Rinoa, Edea told you to be careful with your magic! Do you have any idea who many people could have been hurt?" he yelled, pointing to the large, smoking hole in the wall of her room. _

_"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed through her tears. "It was an accident!" _

_"Accident or not, Rinoa, you could've caused a lot more damage and seriously hurt someone including yourself. Edea told you that your powers are still rouge and you need to be more careful!" he was lecturing her. _

_"I know, but how am I going to learn the full extent of my powers if I don't practice?" she demanded. _

_"Why are you practicing in your dorm room?" he demanded, getting angrier. _

_"Because you won't let me train! You won't let me out of your sight! You keep me pinned up like an animal!" she cried out, distressed. _

_"And this is why!" he snarled, pointing once again to the wall. "This is exactly why, Rinoa!" _

_"You can't keep me trapped like this forever, Squall! Sooner or later, you're going have to let me go!" she screamed and left the room, slamming the door behind her. _

_-End- _

That fight between them had been just a few months before she left and one of the last things they had said to one another. He had never meant to hurt her or say those harsh things, but at the time he was only concerned with her safety. But she had been right. He did try to protect her too much, and that was probably the reason why she left. He was smothering her.

It was deja vu again to have nearly the same conversation with Alexis. He'd made the same mistake twice, but did this mean he might have feelings for Alexis? He shook his head, not even wanting to think about that.

Quistis was waiting patiently for him in his office when he entered. "I have notified both Gardens. Neither of them had any reports of infiltration. Apparently, it was just us."

"What did Irvine say?" he asked.

"Irvine said that the Galbadian Army is pushing towards them. They have had to increase their defenses. Squall, it's getting harder for them." She reported.

His eyes glanced over at the map that still lay on his desk. "I think Galbadia may be behind our break-in.," he concluded.

"What would Galbadia want with information on a magic project?" Quistis asked. "Like you said, Galbadia relies on brute strength."

"I'm not sure." He answered, eyes glued on that map. "Something just tells me that they're responsible."

Quistis frowned, 'I don't think it's right to jump to conclusions. Until we know more, our list is full of a million possibilities."

Squall shook his head. "I'm still going to stick with my gut feeling." He returned to his desk and slowly rolled up the map. He would occasionally glance to Quistis or the computer, but other than that he focused on his task.

"If that's what you believe, but promise me you won't be rash and you won't make nay unnecessary enemies, alright?" she asked.

"Of course," he nodded, but she knew he wasn't paying any attention to her words.

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The Captain and her team returned to the base with ample time to spare. Their mission had been an overall success, and they returned proud of themselves and eager to investigate this experiment.

The Captain found the two she had left behind in the conference room, waiting for her.

"Find anything?" she asked, dropping the folder onto the table. She took a seat and waited patiently for them. The rest of the team also took their seats.

"Only one thing that's actually important." He answered. His companion remained silent in his seat, still ashamed that he knew what he knew.

"Which is?" the Captain asked.

"Galbadia is planning something big," he replied, and then looked to his companion. "I think it would be best if you explained it."

The other guy sighed in aggravation. "Fine." He glared at his companion briefly before directing his attention to the Captain. "We were able to use a series of passwords to break the code for Galbadia's new and possibly most dangerous weapon."

"All right, what do we know about it?" the Captain asked.

"It's magic based. Galbadia plans to create a weapon of artificial magic using sorceress magic." He explained.

"What? How?" the Captain asked quickly.

"Rinoa." He answered.

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Quistis had been gone from his office for over an hour, and the effects of the break-in had finally settled in. teams Two and Three were on guard at every entrance and exit, but his team was investigation the robbery and making sure that nothing else was missing. He was in his office, sitting in his chair behind the desk, trying to decide who could possibly be responsible. He knew that Galbadia had to be behind the robbery, but there was a mystery surrounding how they could have gotten into a high-access security room. There had to be a spy somewhere in Garden, either someone close to Alexis or someone following her. He didn't want to target Alexis because somehow he thought that she was innocent. He honestly believed that she had nothing to do with the break-in.

His eyes glanced over his desk, checking just to make sure that everything was still in order, and that's when he noticed it. Or rather _didn't_ notice it. He jumped to his feet and pulled open every drawer, searching frantically for his lost item. He began to throw things, digging further to try and locate it. When it wasn't in his desk, he was in a state of panic, looking all around the room for it.

He was at the cabinet behind the door when something glistened in the sunlight that poured in from the window. He walked to it to find that it was, indeed, his missing object. He turned it over and held it in his hands until her noticed something else. He only had the frame. His photograph was gone. They took his photograph! That was the last physical thing he had to remind him of his lost love, his lost future, and they took it!

Squall found himself begin to tremble and the frame slipped from his hands and hit the cold floor, shattering the glass all over the floor, and he dropped to his knees amongst the glass.

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"What do you mean Rinoa?" The Captain demanded.

He sighed again. "Galbadia plans to use Rinoa as a weapon."

"How?" she demanded. "She's dead! You know, six feet under!"

"Galbadia's going to dig up her remains and use that." He answered.

"Oh, so the Galbadian Empire has sunk down to grave robbers, have they?" the older woman asked, disgusted.

"Doesn't anyone respect the dead anymore?" the man demanded, also angered by this news.

The Captain's face had gone very pale now, and she looked as if she were going to be physically ill. Her eyes traveled past her companions as they all argued about this issue. She was thinking, going over possible reasons why Galbadia would do such a thing or what they would hope to gain from it. She was also trying to think through a way to stop this from happening. She couldn't allow Galbadia to do this. It was too important for her, and she deserved to rest in peace with no disturbances. She was wrongly put to death, although she accepted it and chose to do that to save another. Sacrifices had to be made in this war, and that was one that the Captain chose to honor, and she refused to allow to dig her up.

"Obviously not, but this is Galbadia we're talking about. They don't have any respect for anyone." The younger guy said.

"And to think we once called that place home." The warrior said, growling.

"We can't let it happen!" The Captain exclaimed. "We've got to fight and figure out how to stop it."

"How?" he asked. "We don't even know when they're planning to do it or if they've even done it yet."

"Well, someone needs to fide out." The Captain replied, folding her arms over her chest.

His eyes got very wide as he realized what she was planning. "Oh, no! No, no, no! I am not going into Galbadian Territory, let alone break into a weapon's factory! No way! It ain't happening!" he exclaimed.

"Cooper, please! You're the only one who knows how to get past the security systems! Please!" the Captain begged.

"No! I'm not doing it! I'd be a sitting duck! NO!" he restated firmly.

"Someone will go with you and make sure that you're well-protected. Please?" she was trying to get him to change his mind with little luck.

"Hmm. Let me think." He put a finger to his chin and feigned deep thought. "NO!"

The Captain sighed and then changed her expression. "As your superior, you will go to the Weapons Facility, you will figure out when Galbadia plans to do it, and you will do it without complaining! That is an order!" she barked.

"Well, why didn't you just say so?" Cooper asked.

"ARGH!" the Captain exclaimed and dropped into her seat, putting her head down on the table in defeat.

"Well?" Cooper asked.

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He was still there, on his knees in the glass. His head was bent and tears were close to forming in his normally dry eyes. He hadn't shed a tear since the day he learned that all his hopes and part of him, that separate extension to him, was dead. He didn't like this feeling, this lost hope. He wanted to get away from this world, to join her in the afterlife, but no one would allow him to do so. He was trapped in this world of the living until he could finish what needed to be done here.

And that was why she left, wasn't it? He always made his duties first and her second. Even in death she was second to his priorities when she should have been his priority to begin with. After all, didn't he swear to protect her, to be her shield and sword, to be there when she needed him? He had made that promise to her, and he had broken that promise. She had died and he was o blame.

"Squall?" a timid voice called to him from a distant place. In reality, the voice was right beside him, but he was somewhere far off, mourning his loss.

A tender arm wrapped around his shoulder and a cool hand gently touched his face. Without thinking or even looking to see who it was, he reached out and hugged her, seeking strength from her that he lacked. She didn't ask questions but held him tightly, knowing that he was in pain from a wound that would likely never heal. It would form a permanent scar on his heart, no matter how hard he tried to mend it. She could try to fill his void and she wanted to, but he had to let her in. She had to be invited first.

She held him close to her, warmly, for a few more minutes until he pulled away, apologizing for his estranged behavior. He avoided her eyes, obviously ashamed or perhaps shy.

"I'm sorry." He muttered and began to pick up the pieces of glass that still covered his floor.

"No, it's okay." She insisted. "Let me help you with that." And she reached out to help him.

He muttered his thanks and went about cleaning up the mess he had made. She helped him, speaking not a word but occasionally looking up at him. He was still so cold to her, almost as if he hated her, but she knew he was just troubled. He was still dealing with the difficulties of losing a loved one, but she knew that he needed to put it behind him and move on. Of course, he didn't need to hear this from her. She had no business butting in and telling him how to live his life. That was not her mission.

She picked up the cracked frame and frowned. "Where's the picture?" she asked, knowing it well.

He sighed and gently took it from her hands. "Our robber took it."

"Why?" she asked, shocked.

"I don't know." He shook his head. "But I think this person is trying to target me."

Before she could stop herself, Alexis replied. "No, I don't think so."

"What?" he asked.

"I mean, why would they target you? I could just be someone wanting information on Rinoa. After all, they took that file and her picture. It could have nothing to do with you at all." She added quickly, skillfully covering her slip.

"Why would anyone want that stuff on Rinoa? It wasn't even conclusive." He was seeking answers from her that she couldn't give him.

To protect herself, Alexis could only come up with one conclusion. "It's war."

"I know," he replied sadly. "This war has ruined my life."

Alexis reached out and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked into her eyes, exposing his hurt and pain that he could no longer contain. Her heart cried out to him. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

The frame fell once again from his hand as he accepted her embrace, clinging to her. He hadn't had this feeling for a long time, and that odd warming feeling began to grow from deep within him. He pulled her closer and tighter, revealing his need for a strength and help. He'd tried so hard to ignore this growing need. He wanted to hold onto his lost love for as long as he could, but she was slipping away from him, even her memory was fading.

"It…can't be helped." He mumbled into her neck. He tightened his grip again, and she ran her fingers through his hair. The simple movement reminded him of Rinoa. As he thought about it, everything about Alexis reminded him of Rinoa.

He pulled back and saw that her eyes were tearing. The distressed look she was giving him made him honestly believe that Rinoa sat in front of him. Without hesitation, he touched her face gently. She closed her eyes at the feeling, her lips parting slightly, and he nearly cried out. It was her. I had to be her. There was no other explanation for it all.

He couldn't do it anymore and pulled away from her completely. His heart and mind were at war, trying to decide whether or not that really was Rinoa. He went back to picking up the pieces of the glass, which in turn, resembled his own shattered heart.

She noticed his retreat and once again helped him with the glass. They said nothing but cleaned up the mess, and Alexis stood at the edge of the desk once they had finished, wanting to say something but found that she didn't have the words to speak. She wanted to comfort him but found that she was not the one to do it. The one person who could heal him was lost to him forever.

She wanted to ell him everything to help ease his pain and suffering, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't say the words that she so badly needed to say to him. She felt as if he were rejecting her, only allowing room in his heart for one individual, whom she was obviously not. But she wanted to be. She wanted him to accept her as who she was and not the person he wanted her to be. Of course, if it meant winning his love and affection she would change herself completely to be his fallen angel, but then his love wouldn't be for her but for the one she was portraying.

"Squall?" she asked quietly. He had returned to his seat, working again, blocking her out. His eyes glanced up only long enough to acknowledge her. "Are you…?" But she trailed off, dropping her thoughts. He wouldn't listen to her. She wasn't important enough to him.

Before she could even attempt to say what she wanted, Quistis and Selphie entered the room in frenzy.

"Squall!" Quistis exclaimed, nearly shoving Alexis out of the way. "You're not going to believe this!" she was frantically waving a black tape above her head.

"What is it?" he asked, rushing to his feet, giving Quistis his full attention. This highly angered Alexis. Why should she be rejected when her feelings were at stake here, and Quistis get what she desired? She was disgusted and walked out of the room in a huff.

Squall didn't even notice the change in Alexis' attitude or the fact that she had left. He focused on Quistis and what she was so worked up over.

"It's the tape from the security camera! I think we may be able to identify our robber!" she exclaimed happily.

Squall had sudden doubts about this idea, but they had no other leads. "Fine, go over the tape and see what you can get out if it." Quistis nodded and left. Selphie attempted to follow after her, but Squall sopped her. "Selphie, did you find anything else?"

"Um, yeah." She shifted uncomfortably. "I went into the back room and noticed that the magic reducer has been tampered with."

"Now why would they mess with the magic reducer?" Squall asked.

"I'm not sure but I'd like to know." Selphie answered.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Um, not really. There weren't any fingerprints that I was able to come up with, but I haven't actually checked everything. They were rather good about keeping their identities." She shrugged. Her mains thoughts were in Alexis. She wanted to know the reasoning behind her attitude.

Squall nodded. "Alright. Do what you need to do but promise me you'll get back to me if you find anything."

"Of course," she replied with a bright smile and disappeared out of the office.

Squall sighed and sat back down to continue his work. He noticed that Alexis was gone. He figured that he somehow offended her, but right now he didn't care. His life was in enough shambles as it was, and he didn't need to pick up any unnecessary drama.

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The Captain had once again hidden herself away from everyone else, dealing with her thoughts. She kept thinking about the photograph and the more she thought about it, the more she felt guilty for taking it. At the time she had been angry and even a little jealous, but now, she was calm and thinking more rationally. But that still didn't answer her first original question: Why had she taken the photograph in the first place? She still didn't know the answer, and that severely bothered her. She needed to know the answer. She needed a solution to this problem, but more importantly, she had another question: Why did he even still have that picture? What could have caused him to keep it, let alone have it sitting on his desk everyday? She wanted to know the answer to that one, too.

She sighed and moved out of the sunlight to the safe shadows of the trees. Even all the way out here, she had to be careful. She couldn't be seen for risk of exposure. She was already a danger to the Underground. Her very presence here was trouble enough, but if she were to be captured by Galbadia, then the real problems would come.

"Why am I even alive?" she asked aloud, she had darted into her favorite secluded spot where she knew she could be safe. It was the wooded area a long ways away from the base. For the past three years, this place had been sanctuary, her lost hope where she could think and get away from he rest of the world that tried so hard to keep her down. By choosing life, she chose a world for her that involved starting over and creating a new past and future for herself. In reality, she didn't expect to live past this war.

"If you keep asking such nonsense questions, you'll end up with a thousand nonsense answers." The voice of the older woman said, entering the forest behind the Captain.

"Why did you follow me?" The Captain demanded.

"Because it's dangerous for you to be alone. You know that." She answered.

The captain said nothing but continued walking. She wasn't in the mood to lose her temper.

"And something seems to be bothering you." She pointed out calmly, appearing at her side.

"Nothing is bothering me." The Captain replied, snapping.

"Bite my head off and ell me you're not bothered by anything. That's contradictory right there." She seemed highly amused by this, but the Captain most definitely was not. She bit her tongue and continued on haughtily. "Angel, as your friend, what is the matter?" she touched her arm gently which made her stop.

"Nothing is the matter! I just…don't know what I'm doing anymore." She dropped her gaze to the browning earth below her. "And I don't know why."

"Angel, you have such little faith in yourself. You are a great leader and an asset to the Underground. You show more enthusiasm to help bring down Galbadia than half of the Resistance. Once again, you are our hope." She tried to convince the Captain but she was now feckless.

"Mika, how can I bring hope to anyone when my own hope has been long dead? I am dead, Mika. The only thing that keeps me going is the commitment I made to Timber. I promised so many that Timber would be free in my lifetime. I can't rest in peace until my duty is done." She said, regretting it.

"You're only dead if you choose to be." Mika answered.

"Mika!" the Captain exclaimed loudly, causing a few startled birds to fly from the trees. "To the entire world I am dead! I am the mourned, yet hated victim of this war! How can you say hat I can only choose to be dead when I am?" she demanded.

Mika said nothing but allowed the infuriated Captain to continue, expressing what had been eating away at her for possibly as long as this war. She had found a vent, and Mika was going to allow her to release the steam within her.

"Do you have any idea what this feels like?" she demanded, face matching her hair. "Do you? I live through another life that is not my own nor will it ever be! I am called by a name that is foreign to me yet I answer to it! I was given the choice between life and death, but someone else chose for me! Do you even know what I would do, what I would give to get my own life back? I would abandon everything just to have it how it used to be!" she exclaimed, finally finishing and dropping to her knees in despair.

The warrior could not condole her, only speak one phrase of warning: "Be careful what you wish for."

* * *

A/N: And there's chapter four! Well? Well? What do you think? I know it's long, and I'm sorry, but a lot needs to happen and I really don't feel like breaking up the chapters. My goal is twenty. Let's see how well that goes. Lol. Okay, so far we've met two members of the Underground: Cooper and Mika. Cooper is the sarcastic guy and that shows to be his most, uh, _prominent_ feature. In other words, he's obnoxious and annoying. Mika is the warrior that is described frequently. She's one of my pride and joy original characters like Drag! Speaking of which, the sequel of Life Less Ordinary now has a title! There Have Been Stranger Days! And chapter one will be posted hopefully soon, since this one is coming along quite nicely, and since Life Less Ordinary was such a success, another high school based story is coming, too! A Common Misconception! Look for them! R&R and Later Days! 


	6. Questions

Chapter five cometh! I'm, believe it or not, rather excited about this story. I like to do stuff that's a little darker and different, that's  
really surprising, and this sort of fulfills that desire. But I'm still here to please you guys, so if there's anything that can be improved upon or added or deleted, don't hesitate to tell me. This is just as much your story as it is mine so let me know!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. I wish I did….

The Force That Divides Us

Chapter Five

"Questions"

By five o'clock that evening, the sun had already set, and Squall was closing up his office. This was the first in a long time that he had finished up before midnight, but he just couldn't concentrate. Too much was going on within his head and this time he couldn't just block it out. It was here to stay until he actually worked it out, but he really didn't want to. He had enough problems already, and he really didn't need to add any more.

He reached the ground floor and was forced with the dilemma of what to do. He'd never actually had a free evening to do what he wanted. No, normally he was stuck up in that office until the wee hours of the morning. This was something new, something foreign to him. He thought about going to the Cafeteria for an actual sit-down dinner, but then he decided against it. He didn't want to have to deal with all the noise. He had plenty of that in his head to begin with.

So now what? He, theoretically, had a thousand possibilities of what he could do, but something was drawing him to the Training Center. It had been awhile since he was able to devote an entire evening to rigorous training like he used to do. He actually missed those days when he spent quality time with his powerful blade, but ever since Cid had left and put him in charge, he never had the time to do anything anymore. He always had so much work to do that he wouldn't even think about anything else.

He made a quick pit stop to his room and then headed out to the Training Center. He stepped into the area, having that old, exhilarating feeling of a good fight coming on. He'd missed the fast-paced, near death action of battling. He could hear the roar of the T-Rexuar, calling to him to come slay it. He sighed, happy and at ease for the first time all day.

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"Take that!" Alexis screamed, slashing through a grat, releasing her frustrations on this poor, miniscule little monster. It let out one last cry before falling into a heap of dead monster meat. Alexis looked at it in satisfaction and tucked a loose strand of sweaty hair behind her ear,  
feeling a little better. She stuck the blade into the blood-darkened earth and took a seat on a nearby boulder, nestled against the trees and the tiny creek. She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked out over the area. She was still a little mad, but coming out here had lightened her mood slightly. She was now able to think clearly and determine what needed to be done.

Of course, she knew what needed to be done. She had to talk to Squall, to lay her feelings down on the line, but she feared rejection and that's what held her back. She'd gone over a million times what she would say to him, but none of it ever sounded right. He would never take her seriously, but how could he? She was practically still a child to him. He'd been out there  
and seen the world, which she had not done. He'd actually killed people, but the closest she'd come to was these stupid monsters here in the Training Center. He was so much more mature than she was, but he had been forced into maturity, giving up what little childhood he'd had.

She wanted to give that back to him somehow. She wanted to show him fun and excitement, to get him away from the office that had him trapped. She wanted to be everything to him and win his heart. Hell, she'd abandon her whole life for him, but he had to want it first.

A small, colorful flower growing by the creek caught her attention. These were rare in the Garden. Flowers were considered wimpy, but she smiled at it as she reached over to pluck it from the moist earth. She held it gently in her hands, turning it over and over, entranced by its odd beauty. And then she pulled off one of the petals, going back to her childhood days of easy selection.

"I don't tell him."

She pulled off another petal, "I tell him."

And this continued on until she stripped the thing of its last petal, speaking the words, "I tell him!" in utter excitement.

As this went on, she was unaware that someone was watching her.

Squall had fought his way back to this semi-secluded area to find Alexis hidden away. He watched her defined sword skills as she successfully brought down the grat. He observed as she sat down and pulled the petals off an innocent flower. This reminded him oddly of Rinoa, and he was taken I again by the possibility that she could be his lost love. He found no other explanation for his feelings and her odd resemblances. He stood there for a long time, considering going out there to confront her, but what if she wasn't and he made a complete fool of himself? He really had no desire to label himself as stupid, but he felt like he'd been doing that anyway lately.

He sighed and walked out to her. She was smiling broadly and waving the petal-less flower around. He chose not to inquire but stood patiently in plain sight, waiting for her to notice him. It didn't take long, luckily. She jumped to her feet and turned to see him standing there. Her cheeks flushed as she saluted him hastily.

"Uh, Commander!" she tried to stand at perfect attention, but it didn't work too well. "What are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes. "At ease and don't call me Commander. I'm off-duty."

She laughed at this, throwing her head back. "You mean you've actually finished work before the sun comes up! Oh, wow! Write that one on the calendar!" She discarded the flower stem and attempted to calm her hysterics.

"If it weren't true, I would be highly angry," he warned. The corners of his mouth turned up in the hint of the beginnings of a smile. He hadn't genuinely smiled in years, but he felt like he needed to now. It was odd, but she made him feel like he could be happy again.

"Oh, sorry." She grinned. "But are you seriously done?" she asked tentatively.

"No," he shook his head. "But I couldn't concentrate."

"It's about time you took a break!" she exclaimed, putting her hands to her hips. "You work too much."

He sighed and looked away. "So I've been told."

"It's true." She stepped forward and touched his arm gently. "You push yourself too hard, Squall. You're still young. You need to let loose sometimes. You know, have a little fun for once. It's actually healthy."

"So I've been told." He repeated, softer.

"So why don't you listen?" she asked, seriously and expecting a response.

"Because I'm hard-headed." He shrugged.

Alexis surprised him by smacking him on the top of the head. "Well, don't be!"

"Hey!" he exclaimed and rubbed the spot. He hadn't expected her to do that.

"Come on," she tugged on his arm. "Be a kid for once. It's fun!" She pulled on his arm again.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Nope!" she smiled and then darted away into the thick scenery of the area. "Come on!"

He shook his head again. "She's not kidding…"

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At the Captain's insistence, Mika had returned to the base, finally leaving the Captain alone to think. She held the photograph as she sat in the woods. She could only imagine his reaction when he realized that his last souvenir was gone forever from him, just like everything else he held so dearly. She wanted to return it to him, never wanting to cause him any pain or suffering, but it was hard to do that when he'd been plagued by both for so long. They were, unfortunately, very accompanied with him and a major part of his life. And this wasn't helping either. She blamed herself for much of his distress, but she had tried to fix that, only to make matters worse.

The night she left had possibly been the worst night of her life. She didn't want to, but she knew she couldn't stay there. It wasn't working. He didn't love her, and she wouldn't try to love someone who didn't love her back. Still, it was hard to leave because she had wanted to make it work so badly. She felt like such a failure running away without even saying goodbye.

"Why am I worrying about this now?" she asked. This time she knew no one would answer her, and she was actually glad. "What's done is done. I made my choice, and this is the result. It's over and finished. I have a new life. They're all gone, dead to me. He's dead to me." She declared. She looked down at the photograph she still clutched for dear life. "I'm sorry." She whispered to the smiling girl.

She stood, held up the photograph, and ripped it to shreds, letting the torn pieces fly out of her hands with the wind. "Goodbye… for good."

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"For the record, I don't want to do this." Cooper whispered angrily as he and his partner hid themselves outside the Weapons Facility. They were waiting patiently for the night security shift to settle into position before they good make their move.

"And for the record, you've been saying that since we left the base," she snapped bitterly.

"Well, I don't. I would've felt a lot better about this if the Captain hadn't chosen a girl to go with me," he whined miserably.

"Listen, bub, I'm just as good as you and Brick, and if need be, I'll prove it. So, quit your whining and let's go. We've got work to do,"  
she replied and darted through the shadows to the door.

His partner, Amy Linear, was a member of the Underground resistance and had been since the Galbadian Government invaded her hometown of Winhill. Since then she'd been helping with the technical stuff and training to be a warrior like Mike. She was shorter than the Captain with dirty blonde hair that stayed in a permanent ponytail at the top of her head. Her features were dark and delicately curved, yet she was very outgoing, happy, and incredibly intelligent. She wore fragments of the traditional clothing of Galbadian culture pinned onto her top and dark jeans, letting the world know the true meanings of the Galbadian Empire, what it had originally stood for until President Deling came into power.

"Hey!" he called out after her. "Don't leave me alone!" He jumped up and chased after her and joined her by the side entrance, breathing heavily. "What's the big idea?" he demanded.

"We have work to do. And who said it was big?" she replied much to his annoyance. "Now quit your whining. You're worse than a little baby! At least a baby can't talk." She groaned. "Now, for the last time, let's go!" She dragged him into the abandoned side enterance.

The inside of the Weapons Facility wasn't anything special. In fact, it was rather bland. They entered a long corridor with stone flooring,  
stonewalls, and a few doors bearing the same design on either side but nothing else. It was so uniform.

"Okay, now what?" she asked, stepping back closer to Cooper.

"We've got to get to the main core room where they're holding the top secret project," Cooper answered with little emotion as he pulled out his code-cracking device from his backpack. He never went without that backpack, for it had everything in it. Yes, Cooper was a nerd.

"Isn't the main core room heavily guarded with his-tech security and such?" she asked, fighting the nervousness she felt.

"Scared, Amy?" he asked, amused.

"Of course not!" she exclaimed. "I was just asking an honest question! Sheesh!"

"Whatever you say, Amy." He shrugged. "The main core room is in the dead center and the hardest part is reaching it. I can crack codes from the system, but I'll need you for all the heavy fighting stuff."

Amy pulled out her two double deluxe, high-loaded revolvers. "No problem there, just tell me where to shoot." She grinned wickedly and twirled the guns in her hands with pleasure.

Cooper rolled his eyes and snorted. "Are you done showing off? We have a job to do, remember?" He asked as she grinned sheepishly. He pulled out a piece of thick, dark paper from his backpack and handed it to her. "I managed to map out a simple route to the main core room, but that means there will be more to go through, so we have to be careful." He traced his finger along the blue line that symbolized their predicted path.

Amy stared at it and nodded. "Looks doable. Let's hit it!"

Cooper nodded and motioned for her to take the lead. "Ladies first." He  
smiled.

Amy scowled at him. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, scared-y cat."

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"And what's our situation so far, General?" the dark, sinister voice of the now Dictator Vincent Deling asked of his lead war consultant. He and his advisors were currently meeting in the Conference Room of the Presidential Building in Deling City.

"The Resistance has put up a good fight the past few weeks, but I do believe that they are weakening. They have lost their steam and the courage they held at the beginning of the war. A few more losses will put them in the position where they will have to surrender." he replied, unrolling a map onto the table to show the positions of both sides, including the victories and defeats.

"Excellent, and what of the Underground?" the Dictator asked gravely.

"The Underground has been absent in the action for quite a while. We believe that they may be planning something big, but I highly doubt if it will be enough to help the Resistance," the General replied.

"Do not underestimate the power of the Underground. They have proved very r_esourceful _in past events. Continue to keep watch for them," he warned. "Now, what of our proposition to the Commander of SeeD?"

The General shook his head. "Commander Leonhart has reinstated the neutrality of all three Gardens. He has declined our very generous  
offer."

The Dictator appeared very irritated by this news. "The Commander should know better than to trifle with the Galbadian Empire. He does not need to make any unnecessary enemies. Give him another offer, make it more appealing to him, but have Sanction Three prepare for invasion of Galbadia Garden in case the Commander chooses to turn us down again. We need something to permanently scare the Resistance and the Underground."

The General saluted, "Yes, sir." He bowed and dismissed himself, retreating from the room.

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The sound of bullets disturbed the quiet of the Weapons Facility as Amy shot all incoming enemies and tried to dodge their fire while Cooper worked on the code that would get them into the main core room and out of this life-threatening mess.

"Cooper, will you hurry up with that code! I can't hold these goons off forever!" Amy called from the corner as she shot down three approaching guards.

Sweating and very nervous, Cooper called back, "I'm doing the best I can! I can't work with all this pressure!" He worked as fast as he could but his fingers shook and missed their targets on the console.

"Yeah, well how to do you think I feel?" Amy screamed back at him. "I'm the one getting shot at, you know?! Come on, already!"

"Got it!" He yelled and grabbed Amy to pull them safely inside as the doors closed again, resetting the code. They both sighed in relief.

"Are you sure they can't get in here after us?" Amy asked.

"Yep, that's the great thing about Galbadia. Its leaders have no common sense. They give all high-access codes to scientists but not to the  
security guards!" He laughed.

"I told you this country was run by morons." Amy rolled her eyes.

They turned around to look at the room they were in. It was huge with massive and expensive scientific equipment cluttering the entire area. The sounds of bubbling chemicals and beeping machines could be heard very clearly. Cooper's eyes went very wide as he took in everything.

"Whoa!" he said as he ran up to view the equipment up close. "Look at all this stuff!" He then went off, talking nonsense about currents and other scientific junk that Amy had no interest in.

"Yo! Bill Nye! Don't forget about our mission here!" she exclaimed.

He blushed, "Oh, yeah. Right. The mission."

"Yeah!" Amy nodded her head distinctively, clearly mocking Cooper. "What are we looking for again?"

"That." Cooper answered, pointing to a large computer screen that displayed various types of information and readings from the experiments.

"And what is that?" she asked.

"What does it look like?" Cooper asked stupidly, throwing his hands up at it.

"A computer screen. Yeah, I get that, but how can that help us?" She demanded, losing patience with him.

"It should tell us everything we need to know about this experiment being planned, including when it's to be initiated." He grinned. The nerd was coming out in him again. He ran over to it and began to type away at the keyboard that stood below it while Amy surveyed the room. She felt severely out of place here.

"Bingo!" Cooper exclaimed a few minutes later.

Amy walked over to him. "Find something?"

"More like the whole experiment!" Cooper said cockily.

"I mean something important!" Amy exclaimed.

"Okay, okay. Don't get your panties in a knot." He typed on the keyboard to bring up another screen. "There. Date and complete plan of when this thing is to be executed."

Amy's jaw dropped. "Cooper, that's next week! We have to get back to the  
base and tell the Captain! This is bad!" She grabbed his arm and shook it ferociously.

Cooper took a deep breath. "Uh, that would require leaving the way we came." He pointed a shaking finger to the door where they knew the guards waited.

"Nope. They're expecting that. We're going out a different way." She pointed to a vent in the corner of the room.

Cooper sighed and looked at her, "Sometimes, I really hate you."

"I know." She said pushing him forward. "Let's go!"

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Selphie had been in the 2nd Floor Lab all day, trying to find something that would help with the investigation, but so far, nothing had turned up. She'd done everything but dusted for fingerprints, which she thought would be useless. If she hadn't found anything yet, then how would she find anything by dusting? But she had promised Squall she would use every method to try and get something.

She groaned and applied the dusting powder in both the main lab room and the back room. She wasn't really paying any attention and got some on the magic reducer. Cursing her carelessness she attempted to get it off, but something caught her attention. The dust had found fingerprints. These were the only ones to show up yet, and she knew for a fact that no one had touched anything without gloves. A hard lump began to form in her throat. She wasn't excited about this. No, she was terrified. She didn't want to know who had been in here.

Taking a sample of the prints, she put it into the main computer database just to see if anything would come up in the Garden registry before she tried the Galbadia and Esthar databases. She knew that nothing would probably come up and didn't even know why she had bothered to check. She linked into the other two databases and inserted the sample, forgetting about the Garden one. On both Galbadia and Esthar databases she came up with nothing and was about to delete the whole search when the computer began to blink the match found message. She was shocked to see that it was under the Garden registry but opened it anyway, thinking it was a mistake on the  
computer's part.

Selphie's jaw dropped as she opened the search result. A picture of the individual and full biography showed, and Selphie felt like she was going to faint.

The computer had matched the print with an impossible person:

Rinoa Heartilly.

* * *

A/N: Well? Well? Are you interested yet? Are you dying to know what's going on yet? Come on, people! Work with me here! I'm not doing this for my health! Ya gotta let me know what you think!! R&R and Later Days!


	7. Old Feelings Resurface

Greetings Ladies and Germs! I just flew in from Cali and boy, are my arms tired! Ha ha ha! What's that? Hmm? Oh! Right! This is my story, not my stand up gig. My bad. Honest mistake.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Final Fantasy VIII.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter Six _

_"Old Feelings Resurface" _

Selphie stared at the screen with the continuous feeling that she was going to pass out. Rinoa's biography picture smiled at her as the read "Match Found" icon blinked above it. Both fingerprints were displayed on the screen- perfect matches.

"Impossible!" she finally managed out, barely above a whisper. She couldn't pull her eyes away from the screen and Rinoa's smiling face. She reached for the sample and stared at it closely. She must have moved it when taking the sample and so it resembled Rinoa's fingerprint. There was no other explanation for it. Rinoa was dead! Irvine had seen her dead body at the funeral. There was no other way for her fingerprints to be in that room.

Panic had officially set in on Selphie, and she scrambled out of the room. She needed air- couldn't breathe.

"Impossible!" she choked out. "Impossible!" she repeated it over and over until she reached the observation deck where she collapsed on her knees.

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"Now, see, wasn't that fun?" Alexis asked as she and Squall both tumbled into the Training Center's secret spot. She walked up to the balcony and leaned against it facing him with a big smile.

"If you say so." He panted heavily. He hadn't done this much running since his heavy training days. He joined her at the wall, leaning against it for support. Alexis' laugh rang through his ears, making his heart race even faster.

"You look out of shape!" she giggled, poking him playfully.

"I think I am," he managed out. He stretched out but that only made it worse, forcing out a painful moan. "Okay, we're not going to do that again."

"Gee, Squall. For a Commander you sure have lost touch with the action." She grinned.

He glared up at her, trying not to smile. "It's called paperwork, and it's a necessary evil." He couldn't believe that he was playing around with her like this. It had been a long time since he joked around with someone, but oddly enough, it felt good.

"Uh-huh!" she rolled her eyes. "More like it's called laziness!" she poked him again, but this time he grabbed her hand and spun her around, getting her in a quick arm lock.

"Not laziness, paperwork and I can still kick your butt in a challenge." He whispered harshly.

"Hey! Let go!" she wriggled, trying to get free, which was difficult since she was laughing so hard.

He complied, pushing her out with a spin. "As you wish."

Alexis spun a few feet away from him before stopping and looking at him curiously. "Do you dance?" she asked.

"Not very well." He admitted, shrugging.

"I don't believe that." She shook her head and stepped closer to him. "You're going to have to prove it."

Squall's cheeks began to redden slightly. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"And why not?" Alexis asked, her bright eyes shining into his as she yet again took another step.

"Because I have two left feet." He replied.

"I don't think that's it." She put a thoughtful finger to her lips as a smile curled up over them. He said nothing but his cheeks were still darkening. "I think you're shy!" she declared, nose wrinkling in excitement.

He raised an eyebrow to her comment. "No, I don't think so."

"Then prove it!" she challenged.

"Once again, not a good idea." And he pointed to his feet.

"You're just too shy!" she exclaimed, folding her arms over her chest, nose still wrinkled cutely.

"I am not shy," he insisted.

"Then dance with me!" she said.

Squall was immediately taken back to the first night he met Rinoa. It was at the SeeD ball, and he had hidden himself away in a corner, watching everyone have a good time. He hadn't wanted to be there, yet he had little choice in the matter. Then, she came out of nowhere, performing her little spell to get him to dance before dragging him onto the dance floor against his will. Little did she know, he had enjoyed every second of it.

"Well?" Alexis asked, bringing him back to reality. She had come closer and was looking up at him, inches from his face.

"Well what?" he asked.

"Well, are you going to dance with me or not?" she demanded.

He shook his head. "There isn't even any music."

"Silly, you don't need music to dance! The rhythm is in your heart." She explained, taking his hand gently in hers.

He looked down at the two hands together. "I can't dance."

"Well, I'm going to teach you." She smiled and reached for his other hand. He swallowed nervously.

"Here?" he asked, eyes growing wide in fear.

"Why not?" she shrugged, grinning.

"I don't think this is an appropriate place." He managed out.

"Then let's go to an appropriate place." She stepped back and tugged on his hand.

"Uh, um," he struggled to speak, but she started to drag him out of the secret area and straight out of the Training Center. He never even managed to get a word out in protest as she took him to the Quad.

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It was well after dark when Cooper and Amy returned to the base. A massive storm was coming soon so the Underground was preparing for lockdown. They burst through the main enterance, disturbing the preparations of Mika.

"What in the Hell do you think you're doing?" Mika demanded, pointing to the mess that the two had made.

"Mika, where's the Captain?" Cooper demanded.

"She's in the System Control Room preparing for this damn storm. Why?" she asked, anger now changing slightly to suspicion.

"We found something important." He exclaimed. He then turned to Amy. "Round up everyone else for an emergency meeting in the Conference Room! I'll go get the Captain!" and the two of them scrambled down the corridor leaving Mika standing there, confused.

"What in the Hell are you talking about?" she yelled after them, but they just kept going.

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"This had better be important." The Captain threatened darkly as they all sat in the Conference Room.

"Oh, it is. Trust me." Cooper said as he pulled out his laptop. "I managed to download some information on the experiment that Galbadia is planning." He loaded the computer and projected an image onto the blank wall. "Galbadia is planning on making a super weapon fueled totally by rouge magic power. Since Rinoa died without a knight, her magic was never passed onto another individual, so she died with an incredible amount of power in her body. This caused her bones to absorb nearly all of the power. Galbadia wants to dig up her remains and extract that power from her bones and transform it into a usable substance that will fuel the weapon."

"When does Galbadia plan to execute this immoral experiment?" The Captain asked.

"Next week, so we don't have much time." Cooper replied, pointing to the date.

The Captain sighed and rose from her seat. "Well, it looks like this could be our most dangerous mission yet, but we have to do this." She declared. "But unfortunately, I don't think we can do this one on our own."

"And who are we going to get to help us?" Mika demanded.

"Garden," she replied.

"The Commander will never help us!" Mika exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "We've had an informant stationed for five years at the Garden with no luck at all! He will never do it!"

The Captain's face darkened with seriousness and anger. "Our informant was only at the Garden to stay out of the way and do something personal for me. I never actually told her to work on getting the Commander to join the cause." She snapped. "And as for getting him to help us, that's what I need you and Brick to do."

"And what's that?" she demanded.

"Go visit the Commander," the Captain replied. "And don't take 'no' for an answer."

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Selphie, still ripe in hysterics, pounded on Quistis' office door, hoping she would be in there. After a little bit of time, the woman appeared, opening the door to greet her.

"Selphie, what are… is everything all right?" she asked upon seeing the girl's stricken face.

Selphie pushed her way into the office and quickly closed the door. "Quisty! I found something horrible!"

"What are you talking about? In the lab?" Quistis asked gently, guiding the younger girl to a seat. "Selphie, what's going on?"

"I told Squall I'd dust for fingerprints, but, oh Quisty!" she exclaimed, tears now streaming down her face.

"Selphie, calm down! It's okay! Just take slow, deep breaths." She tried to guide the girl to get her to make some sense.

"I dusted for fingerprints, but I didn't' find anything until I noticed that I had gotten some dust on the magic reducer!" she exclaimed.

"You got a print?" Quistis asked, shocked. "Were you able to make a sample and get a match?"

Selphie nodded, "Uh-huh!" The color had drained completely from her face.

"Well, what?" Quistis asked. "Selphie, we need to know to catch this culprit!"

"Rinny," she whispered.

"What?"

"The sample was Rinny's." she choked out, louder this time.

"What? Selphie, that's ludicrous! Rinoa is dead!" Quistis exclaimed.

"It's true! I checked it three times! I did multiple samples! It's her print! Quisty, it's a perfect match! I swear!" Selphie cried out, sobbing.

It was Quistis' turn to take deep, slow breaths. "Okay, let's got to the lab and show me the sample. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this." She helped Selphie up and guided her out the office. "I hope."

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"Is this appropriate enough for you?" Alexis asked as she and Squall stepped into the dark ballroom.

"I suppose," he whispered. He still felt uneasy about all this and not quite sure what to think or do.

Alexis took his hand again and led him onto the big, empty floor. She took him straight to the dead center and directed his placement in front of her. She reached out and took his other hand, but as she was going to move this hand to her side, she frowned and held both his hands up.

"What?" he asked, fearing a negative reaction from her for some reason.

"It's these gloves," she replied, turning his hands gently, staring at the black leather gloves with such disgust that he was shocked. "Do you always wear them?"

"Yes," he didn't even hesitate in his answer.

"Why?" she looked up at him curiously.

But this time, he didn't have an answer for her because he honestly didn't know. He looked down at his hands that were always covered by these gloves. They had become an odd part of him, but now, when forced with the question of why he wore them, even he didn't know.

"…I don't know." He shrugged.

She looked back down at them and moved to one hand, letting the other fall to his side. She held his hand, palm out with both of hers, cradling it softly. Her fingers trickled down to his wrist and slowly began to peel the glove off his hand. He watched her do it, speaking not a word or objecting in any way. She pulled it off and cast it aside, not caring where it landed as she took his other hand to do the same thing.

When the gloves were off completely and his bare hands rested in hers, she sighed in satisfaction. "There, now we can do this right." He said nothing so she placed one hand carefully on her side and kept the other one clasped in hers. "Now, show me you can dance."

"But I can't," he replied innocently.

"Yeah, right, Commander. I know better than that. You're skilled in everything include ballroom dancing." She looked up at him and smiled.

"Ah, but that it where you are wrong," he answered. "SeeDs aren't taught ballroom dancing, only basic movements." They slowly began to sway to an unknown rhythm.

"Then show me the basic movements." She commanded, smiling.

He said nothing but slowly and dramatically twirled her around and the brought her back in to the previous position. He did it with such grace and poise that she thought for a second there that he was a professional. He continued to guide her in this odd dance, moving a little bit more distinctly. He could picture himself back at that SeeD ball, surrounded by people he didn't know. The sound of the waltz filled his mind so vividly almost as if he were sanding right beside the orchestra, and he realized that he was doing the exact same dance that had introduced him to Rinoa.

Alexis was a good partner and followed his lead perfectly, never stepping out of her boundaries. She was astonished by his skill, but she was more excited than anything. Did this dance mean something? She could only hope.

The waltz ended in his mind the exact same way it ended seven years ago, but this time there were no fireworks and his partner remained right in front of him with no indication that she would leave.

"And you said you couldn't dance," she said, looking at him and showing off a great smile.

"Just basics," he replied with little emotion. He didn't want to let go of the picture in his mind, but it was fading quickly.

"Those were some basics," she whispered but noticed that she was losing him. He was drifting off to another time when his first love stood in her spot. She knew he was thinking about her, and she couldn't help but feel some jealousy. She shook her head, knowing that if she was going to win him over, then she needed be gentle about this.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" she asked tenderly.

"I always think about her." There was some sadness in his voice that pulled at her heartstrings. "No matter where I am or what I'm doing I think about her. She never leaves my thoughts. She haunts me because I couldn't save her."

Alexis was so close to crying. She didn't want to cry because he didn't love her, she wanted to cry because of the pain he felt. "She was executed, squall. There was nothing you could do. It's not your fault."

He shook his head, "Yes it is. I put her there."

"Put her where?" she asked.

"In harm's way. I drover her away until she actually left, and there was nothing I did to make it right. If only I had gone after her when she left, she'd still be alive." He looked away, ashamed and angered.

"Squall, you don't know that. It was fate. You did nothing wrong. Please, stop beating yourself over something that wasn't your fault." She put her hand to his face gently and forced him to look at her. "Rinoa died for something she believed in, something she had an obligation to. She made a promise to Timber. She didn't die in vain."

"How do you know that?" he asked, suspicion now clouding his features.

Alexis realized she'd said too much and tried to move away, but Squall's reflexes were faster than that. He grabbed her and pulled her back to him.

"Why do I have the feeling that you're not telling me everything about you?" he asked, almost angrily.

"…I don't know what you're talking about." she shook her head and tried to get free, but he had her too tightly.

"Alexis, don't make me lose respect for you." He warned.

She stopped fidgeting and cursed herself. She had said too much, and now she was going to have to pay for it. Or maybe not. "I knew Rinoa." She whispered.

"How?" he asked.

"We weren't friends, if that's what you mean. I worked with her in Timber with the Timber Owls before she was asked to head the Underground. She was only in that position for a year before she was captured and executed." She replied.

"You didn't like her, did you?" he asked, letting her go.

"No, I liked her. She was nice and always made sure that everything was done correctly and that everyone was safe." Alexis answered. "I didn't come to dislike her until I came here and saw what she did to you."

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Nevermind," she shook her head. "It doesn't matter now." She wanted to leave and just forget about her perfect moment that was now lost. She stepped back and turned to leave.

"Wait," he touched her shoulder to stop her. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't offend me. You couldn't." she replied. "It's just I've finally realized something that's been staring me in the face for a long time."

"What's that?" He asked.

"That I can't complete with her," she said sadly, shrugging.

Squall didn't say anything but stared at her in shock. He'd been oblivious to her direct hints. Now that he thought about it, she'd been trying so hard to get his attention and tell him that she cared, but he'd never once noticed. He was too concerned with mourning over what he'd lost rather than focus on what he could have.

"Alexis," he sighed and took her hand. "I think we should talk."

She slowly pulled out her hand. "I don't need a lecture, Commander." She stepped back and once again attempted to move away from him.

"I'm off-duty. It has nothing to do with work, but I really believe that we need to talk." He felt awkward but knew this needed to be said.

She shook her head. "I'm done with making a fool of myself. I've tried to be something I'm not and I'm tired of trying to compete with someone who's no longer even alive. I just don't think it's worth it."

"That's why we need to clear this up now," he insisted, but she continued to shake her head in protest.

"No, I'm done fighting. I'm done competing with something that I can't beat. Face it, I'm just not worth your time." She tried to get away again but he stopped her. This time with a grip that she couldn't get out of.

"I'm not letting you leave until we work this out." He commanded, almost angrily.

"I'm done! It's not worth it anymore!" she cried out. "Please, just let me go! We can forget this ever happened!"

"No," he said more gently this time. "I doubt if either of us will be able to forget what's happened here. Just hear me out, and then you can do whatever you please. That's my only request."

"All right," she nodded and he released his grip on her and she turned to face him, nervous and uncertain.

"First, I want to apologize for never catching on to what was so obvious. I'm sorry. Next, I want to say that no one can replace Rinoa." Upon hearing this, Alexis tried to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Wait. I'm not done. No one can replace Rinoa because of the time when spent to together, and her genuine personality. That's not always a bad thing, however. I don't want you to think that you're trying in vain because you're not. Alexis, you're a wonderful person and today you made me forget about some of the things that haunt me everyday. I was free for today. I thank you for that." He moved his hand down her arm until her was holding her hand in his. "I don't want you to think that I don't care. I do. I'm just afraid. I've lost more important people in my life than I care to mention. You'll have to forgive me if I come off as terse or unemotional. I don't mean to be. I don't want you to think that you can't compare with Rinoa. Yes, she may be gone, but she's still here. I loved her, but that doesn't mean I can't love again. I can, but you'll have to give me time. Don't give up."

He finished and it was a while before Alexis responded. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Whatever you want to do. I guess if you give up, that's your choice." He said, shrugging.

"I just want to know if I have a chance." She sighed. "I just want to know if it's worth my time."

"Do you think it is?" he asked.

"You tell me," she said.

"It's up to you." He replied, giving up nothing further.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked. He nodded once. "Do you feel the same way?"

He sighed and looked away but never let go of her hand. "That's difficult for me to say directly. I know something's there. Toady made me feels that."

"Would you be willing to give it a chance?" she asked.

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

"Could we try?" she asked. Her voice was getting smaller with every word.

"If you want," he said.

"Yes," she squeezed his hand.

"All right, but you'll have to be patient with me sometimes." He said. She nodded but said nothing. She was smiling, finally happy at last.

They stood there facing each other and holding the other's hand without saying a word. They were just enjoying the moment. Alexis was thrilled, but Squall wasn't quite sure what to think. He was willing to give Alexis a chance because he knew that it was time he let Rinoa go and accept the fact that she was dead and not coming back. It pained him to have to do this but the first step is always the hardest. And he knew that Alexis truly cared for him. He could see it in her eyes, and he couldn't say that he didn't have any feelings for her because he did.

"Commander!" someone was calling for him outside the ballroom. They sounded distraught and frantic. Squall's attention turned from Alexis to the exit. He made no other movements but listened intently. "Squall!" It came again, worse than before. Someone was intent on finding him.

He pulled his hand out of Alexis' and took several steps toward the door. "I'm in the ballroom!" He called out, still facing the exit.

The door opened moments later and Xu popped her head in. "Squall!" she exclaimed, relieved. "You shouldn't scare me like that! I thought something was horribly wrong." She came in and walked up to Squall, saluting him.

"What's the problem, Xu?" he asked.

"You have important visitors waiting in the Conference Room for you." She said, somewhat nervously.

"Who is it?" he asked, not liking this. He felt Alexis move closer to him.

"General Caraway and Dictator Deling's son, Cabait." She answered.

"What are they doing here?" he demanded. "I already declined the offer to join the war. I told them that we plan to remain neutral."

Xu could tell that Squall was becoming highly irritated. "I don't know why they're here. All I know is that they said it was urgent that they speak with you. They didn't give a reason." She shrugged.

Squall sighed. "Fine. Tell them I will be with them shortly." He dismissed Xu, and she scurried out of the ballroom, leaving the two alone. He turned to face her. "Alexis, I apologize. I thought I was done for the day."

"No, it's okay. I know it's not your fault." She smiled.

He nodded and left the ballroom to meet with his visitors, leaving Alexis by herself, but she didn't mind. She was incredibly happy and nothing could ruin her moments, not even a visit from her superior could rain on her parade. She had what she wanted and nothing or nobody could take it away from her.

"I won," she whispered, spinning around until her arms outstretched and a smile on her face. "I got him!"

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Squall stopped just outside the Conference Room. He didn't know why the General would come to see him. He hadn't been in the same room with the man in over six years. He'd always gotten the impression that the General didn't like him too much, and frankly, he had no lover for the General either.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and entered the room, returning to his dreaded duty. "Excuse me, gentlemen for taking so long. I was unprepared for your visit."

General Caraway and Dictator Deling's son, Cabait sat at the large table, waiting patiently for Squall to arrive. The General looked different from the last time he and Squall met. He looked tired and frail, like his job had finally caught up to him and added about ten years to his appearance. He still, however, had his dark eyes that watched every movement of everything like hawk-like eyes.

Cabait Deling was a face that Squall did not know well. He'd heard enough about him to know that he didn't like him. Cabait was a handsome young man of Squall's age, maybe older with skin the color of cinnamon and dark, sinister eyes. His hair was almost black but highlighted and short, cut at an angle that swept across his eyes. He was about Squall's size, maybe more slender and lean. He wore a simple black suit with no tie and a cloak that covered most of his body. His father was a very corrupt man, and Squall heard that Cabait was worse. He feared for the people of Galbadia, knowing that this was the future leader if the Resistance failed.

General Caraway stood as Squall entered the room and Cabait followed moments later, eyeing Squall with a suspicion that made the young Commander uneasy and threatened. There was something about Cabait that Squall immediately didn't like. A deep hatred formed within him and threatened to rise to a dangerous level. He could tell that it was going to be a long meeting.

"Ah, Commander. A pleasure, as usual." The General said, out-stretching his hand to Squall. He took it and the two shared a hearty, business handshake.

"Same," he replied gruffly.

"And I assume you know Cabait." He gestured to the young man at his side who continued to glare at the Commander.

"I've heard about him." Squall replied, and the two men shared a very briefly handshake.

After introductions were done, the three men sat down facing each other. "Excuse my bluntness, General, but what is this about?"

"I'm glad you asked, Commander." He leaned over and pulled a black folder out of briefcase that rested against his chair. "Dictator Deling has a very generous offer for you."

"General, I'm sorry but I've already declined your last offer and instructed all Gardens to remain neutral. I have no intentions to enter this war." He said rather tersely.

The General's face darkened. "Commander, you have a reputation for being rash. I think you should listen to the conditions before you make any decisions that you will regret."

Squall stood, having heard enough. "General Caraway, I apologize for being rude, but I have no intentions of entering a war that is of no concern to me. I will not endanger the lives of the people here just to help your Dictator win a war that he started in the first place. It has nothing to do with me or Garden, and we will remain neutral. This meeting is over." He glared at them both sternly.

"Commander, you are making a mistake." The General warned.

"The only mistake I've made, General, was even attending this meeting." He replied harshly. He turned to leave but the General's voice stopped him.

"Will you not help us because of Rinoa?" he asked. He knew this was a risky conversation, but he wanted to give the Commander every opportunity to remain on the good side of the Galbadian Empire.

Squall turned around one last time. "Let me say this once: Rinoa has nothing to do with my decision to enter the war. Yes, I mourn her loss and perhaps I blame Galbadia for her death, but that does not mean I hold a grudge against Galbadia and want nothing to do with the empire. I have a duty to hundreds of people, and I will not endanger them. That is why I choose to remain neutral."

General Caraway nodded. "If that is what you want, then I guess nothing we can do will change your mind. I apologize for wasting your time."

"And I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing." Squall said and disappeared out the room.

"He's stubborn, but he will break sooner or later." Cabait said wickedly. "Like father said, attack his weakness."

General Caraway said nothing but lifted his briefcase and escorted Cabait out of the door, cutting out he light as they left, but before he exited, he left a folded piece of paper on the table, knowing it would reach the Commander.

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"See, see, see!" Selphie exclaimed, pointing to the computer screen that remained untouched, still showing Rinoa's picture.

"Let me see the sample." Quistis commanded. Selphie handed the item to her and the blonde inspected it carefully. "It's a very clear print, Selphie. There are no visible smudges. And you got this from the magic reducer?" she asked.

"Yes," she replied timidly.

Quistis set down the sample and went into the back room. She reappeared moments later with a fresh sample. She picked up the other one and compared them both.

"They're the same," she concluded.

"How can that be?" Selphie asked, whispering. She was scared out of her mind. "Rinny's dead."

"I don't know," she shook her head. "But I believe someone is trying to either mess with our heads or freak us out."

"Who?" Selphie asked. "Who would go so far as to impersonate someone so close to us?"

"I think I may have to agree with Squall on this one." She replied. "I think Galbadia is behind this."

"So what do we do? We have to tell someone!" Selphie exclaimed.

"I don't think this should get out, Selphie. The last thing we need is a widespread panic. We can't even tell Squall about this." Quistis replied.

"But I promised I'd tell him everything I found!" she protested.

"Selphie, Squall has enough to deal with, and I don't want to give him any false hope. He still honestly believes that Rinoa is alive out there somewhere, and I don't want him to keep believing this. He needs to move on, and this information would destroy his chance to live past her for good. I'm not taking the chance." Quistis said calmly.

"So what do I do with the samples?" Selphie asked.

"Dispose of them so that no one knew they were even here. Wipe down the magic reducer and erase the search. I'll erase her biography later so no one can recover the search or trace the print match." She walked over and touched Selphie's shoulder gently. "Don't worry, it's for the best."

"I know, I just hate to see this happen." The brown-haired girl said sadly.

"You and me both, Selphie." Quistis agreed. "You and me both."

* * *

A/N: And there's chapter six. I think some of you might actually get mad at me for this chapter, but remember; there is a reason for everything! Oh, and Cabait is not just some random character I threw in there for kicks. He's actually pretty important. You might learn more about him next chapter, but, yeah. I just thought I should clear that up. I can imagine you guys know what's going to happen, so I won't say anything! Ha, ha, ha! R&R and Later Days!

And special thanks to Savannah for being my wonderful editor, and thanks to Gamer Legend who has expressed many interesting reviews. I think that last chapter pushed ya over the edge, didn't it? Lol. Thanks, guys!


	8. Fear

Hello, hello, hello! Miss me? You had better! Anyway, I imagine by now most of you know what's going on, but some of you have said that its difficult to determine who' who. . Original characters are as follows: Resistance: Mika, Cooper, Amy, Brick, and the Captain (sort of). Garden: Alexis and Chloe (you haven't met her yet). Galbadia: Cabait. I hope that helps some. I know it's confusing and difficult to follow at times, but it will all make sense in the next few chapters. You have to trust me. Believe it or not, I know what I'm doing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Final Fantasy VIII. I wish.

**_The Force that Divides Us_**

_Chapter Seven _

_"Fear" _

After General Caraway and Cabait had left Garden territory, Squall returned to the office he thought he had closed up for the day. He was angry with himself and Vincent Deling for thinking that he was fool enough to be bribed into entering a war. He had to protect these people, and agreeing to enter a war would give Garden even more enemies than it already had. He couldn't risk that he and he wouldn't. Vincent Deling could offer him all the gil in the world and the crown jewel of Hyne, and he still wouldn't do it. The only way he would enter any war in Galbadia would be if Rinoa walked through that door and asked him to. That was the only way, but since she was dead and not coming back, the war was off-limits.

The thought of Rinoa brought back the General's question. _Will you not help us because of Rinoa?_ He had been infuriated by this question, and the General knew it would invoke a reaction from him. He had lost his temper there and lashed out at the General, something he was sure he would later regret.

The thought of Rinoa also made him think of Alexis. Today, he'd done something that no one would have figured him to do, and he didn't even know why he did it. He didn't necessarily regret it, but he wasn't too thrilled with it either. And yet, something had drawn him to Alexis just like Rinoa. They were two completely different people, but the more he compared them, the more similarities he found.

Squall shook his head and leaned back in his chair, resting his arm on the armrest and cupping his chin in his palm. No, they weren't as different as he thought them to be. The only differences he saw were looks and age, but other than that, they could be the same person. And for a long time, he had been sure they were. Alexis nearly mirrored Rinoa's actions perfectly. She even nailed her personality and caring, and this had been why he thought Alexis was Rinoa, but that couldn't be right. He tried to tell himself that it was impossible for Alexis to be Rinoa because there was still one tiny little thing that didn't match up: magic. Rinoa had been full of magic since she was a sorceress, but Alexis was different. Alexis couldn't even cast a simple cure spell. She couldn't junction magic of Guardian Forces for that matter. Alexis could sense the presence of magic a mile away, but she couldn't junction it or be around a very strong amount of it. He didn't know why either. Alexis always changed the subject when prompted.

As he thought about that one difference, a question burned in the back of his mind. _Did he love Alexis?_ Strangely, he tried to ignore the question, and kept pushing it away, further and further to the back, hoping that it would become lost in the chaos of his mind, but it didn't. No, this one was stubborn. He didn't want to answer it either, not because it was an irrational question, but because he feared it. He feared this whole thing. Today, he put Rinoa behind him and moved on, picking up a new relationship in the process. Although it's been five years since her death, seven since their relationship had ended, he still had deep feelings for her. He still had hope that she may be alive. He swore she was still out there somewhere, but it still hurt to think of the reality in which she was dead and gone.

But he still hadn't answered the question, or even acknowledged it. Did he love Alexis? He honestly didn't know. He didn't even want to think about it right now. It was too early, and he was still tender. Rinoa had taken all of his time, energy, and heart so when she left, he was drained completely and in the two years that followed, he was wounded until the news of her death broke him down completely. If it weren't for all his friends and the duty that kept him chained, he would have joined her a long time ago.

But now he had started to heal. It was a very slow process, but he had begun to put everything behind him with more ease than he could before. And he knew he had Alexis to thank for that. He had come to terms that subconsciously he knew that Alexis had feelings for him and had accepted that. When he learned of the robbery of Rinoa's file and the picture he held so dearly, Alexis had been there to comfort him when he needed it most. She held him closely and was the support he had needed for so long.

So, did he love Alexis?

Without a doubt he knew the answer was yes. This love might not be as strong as the one he had for Rinoa, but it was love all the same.

Did that scare him?

Yes, of course it did. He was the epitome of an emotional hermit. He never used his emotions of his feelings when they were desired. He kept them locked up away in a place where no one could ever retrieve them, but somehow it had been done. Not once, but twice, no doubt. It seemed that the more he tried to lose his emotions and push himself even further away from society and the elements of love, the more he was attracted by someone determined to crack his code. He tried too hard to be a loner, and look where he ended up.

So naturally he feared the thought of a new relationship. What would happen to him if he put all his life into Alexis like he did to Rinoa and she left him, too? He knew for certain that he would be beyond repair. He had little to give Alexis to begin with, but what he had was enough to hurt him completely to the point where nothing could save him. And that, in itself, is what scared him the most.

"Squall?" A very timid voice came from the doorway. He looked up to see Xu standing there, nervous and afraid.

"What can I help you with, Xu?" He asked, glad that she was here to take his mind off what had been currently dominant.

"Uh, I went back into the Conference Room after General Caraway and Cabait had left to lock it up like I usually do, and I found this on the table." She held up the folded piece of paper. Squall noticed that her hand was shaking badly, and he was suddenly worried of what that could mean.

"What is it?" He asked, trying to remain calm with very little luck.

"See for yourself," she replied as she crossed the room to hand it to him.

Squall opened the paper to see an image of Rinoa from what looked like a newspaper clipping. She was smiling as she stood outside the obvious town of Timber. Below the clipping was a message that Squall knew immediately was intended for him:

"Never lose hope, never lose faith,

I am still with you in my wake.

I'll be there, just as promised,

Hiding away where you least expect.

I'll survive, no matter what they do,

Because everything I do, I do it for you."

Squall thought he recognized the handwriting, but he couldn't be sure. He stared at it until something at the very bottom caught his attention. It was another message, but General Caraway signed this one:

"Commander, I come to you with one heed of warning.

Do no believe everything that you see or hear. Some

Things have been hidden from you. Never let your

Heart be outvoted on what it truly believes. Also,

Beware of those around. They are not who they always

Make themselves to be…"

He did not understand the General's meaning, but he knew that it should be taken seriously. It was a warning from the General, and Squall intended to make full use of it, but he needed to figure out whom he was referring to. Did he mean to say that there was a spy in Garden? And what did he mean when he said that part about the heart?

"What does it mean?" Xu asked, frightened.

"I'm not sure." Squall answered, shaking his head. "It's obviously meant as a warning, but as for a warning of what, I don't know."

"What's the first part supposed to be?" she asked.

"It's something Rinoa wrote." He concluded, staring at it. "That's her handwriting."

"But how is that possible?" Xu demanded.

"It's a copy, pasted onto here. The General intended another meaning her, but again, I don't know." He sounded frustrated now.

"What do we do?" She asked, very frightened.

Squall refolded the paper and placed it into his pocket. "Don't worry about it, Xu. I'll take care of it." She nodded and exited the office, leaving him alone once again. He sighed and leaned back in he chair. What was he supposed to do now?

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The Captain returned to the System Control Room after the meeting. The news of this experiment had her very uneasy. She had managed, in the past, to put all worries behind her and focus on the problem at hand, the war. But now she really had a reason to worry. This experiment posed a threat, not only to the Resistance but to her as well. Digging up Rinoa's remains would blow her cover and seriously endanger the Underground. Galbadia did not need to know the truth. If Vincent Deling knew the truth, then who knew what would happen! She knew for a fact that she would be hunted and either imprisoned or executed, and this time, they would make sure she went through with it.

But digging up Rinoa's remains proposed another problem: exposure. So many people had helped the Resistance and Galbadia's experiment would jeopardize those people who wished to remain unknown. If Galbadia dug up Rinoa and learned the truth, a world war would ensure, and she'd be smack in the middle of it.

"Captain?" Mika called from the door.

She turned to face the warrior. "What do you need, Mika?" she asked, wearily.

"I just came by to let you know Brick and I are leaving." Mika answered.

"That's fine. Good luck." The Captain stood and saluted the warrior.

"Are you sure this needs to be done?" Mika asked.

"Yes," answered. "We need his help."

"But he won't do it." Mika protested.

"Oh, yes, he will." The Captain smiled viciously. "We just need to find his weak spot."

"And do you know what that is?" Mika asked.

"Of course," her smile only got wider. "That's why I need you and Brick to go talk to him."

"Well, that's pointless if you're not going with us." Mika replied, putting her hands on her hips.

The Captain shook her head. "Right now it's too dangerous for me to leave here. I trust you'll be able to get the job done."

"How?!" Mika demanded. "He's going to say no and kick us out of the Garden before we can even think about protesting!"

"Don't give him the chance to say no." she replied calmly.

"And how do we do that? We're going onto his turf!" Mika demanded, short of losing her temper. The Captain was speaking in riddles, and Mika had never been very good with riddles.

"You'll find a way." The Captain stated simply, indicating that she would give up nothing more.

"Sometimes you are so impossible." Mika muttered, disgusted.

The Captain smiled at Mika's annoyance to the situation, enjoying her mini triumph over the warrior. "I know, but that's what makes me so me." She grinned.

Mika looked at her, trying not to crack a smile. "That it does."

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave?" The Captain asked. She was growing weary of this conversation.

Mika sighed, "Yes, I suppose it's time to round up my partner for departure." She headed back to the door but looked back at the Captain. She looked so tired and worried. "Are you all right, Angel?" she asked, leaning against the doorway.

The Captain turned back to her companion, not expecting her to still be there. "What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just…preoccupied." She answered, eyes moving slowly to the floor, obviously avoiding Mika. This made the warrior slightly more worried about her superior.

"Don't worry, Angel." She said before walking out. "We won't let this happen." And then she disappeared, leaving the Captain alone to once again think about her worries and the darkness that had settled over her already grim future.

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"And what did the Commander say, my son?" Vincent Deling asked of his handsome young son as he entered his quarters. Vincent and Cabait were two completely different men and if not for their corrupt behavior, one could barely tell that they were even related. Cabait had his mother's looks but Vincent's sinister mind.

"He wouldn't even consider your deal, father." Cabait answered darkly, taking a seat in an armchair by the fire that had already begun to die down in the late evening hours. "We were escorted out after only a few minutes with the Commander."

"Ah, well, it is the Commander's funeral, and I will make sure that it is seen as a very joyous occasion." He smiled viciously.

"So will you go ahead with the plans for Galbadia Garden's invasion?" Cabait asked eagerly. It was evident that he wished to participate in the campaign.

"Yes, my son. The sooner we have Garden's technology at our disposal, the sooner we can crush this troublesome Resistance." Vincent replied as he rose from his seat to stand by the dying fire. He wore a black suit and gold rings on his fingers. His black hair was slicked down neatly without a hair out of place.

"Does this mean I will lead the invasion, father?" Cabait asked, his dark face lighting slightly as the thought of the destruction he could bring encouraged him.

"No, my son." Vincent replied sternly. "I have a far more important task for you." He turned away from the fire to look at his son.

"And that is?" He demanded.

"I need you to help with the annihilation of our Underground friends." He replied, reaching over and gasping a few nuts in his hands. He had no intention of eating them but rolled them around in his outstretched hand as he followed the dying flames.

"So what will I be doing?" Cabait asked, not following his father's words.

"You, my imperturbable son, shall be my leader in the path of destruction on the Underground. They are the brains of the Resistance and once we take them out, they will be forced to do nothing but issue an unconditional surrender. Then we can restore our glorious country once again with an benevolent, iron-fisted rule, which you shall one day inherit." Vincent replied as he crushed the nuts in his hands.

"Of course, father," Cabait answered with a smug smile that slowly disappeared as he thought about something. "But father, there is still the question of my bride."

Vincent scattered the dust of the nuts into the fire, making it cackle and pop like the sick laughter erupting from a madman. "Don't worry about that, my son. Let's take care of this war first, then we shall determine the means of your rule." He didn't look at his son but focused on the fire.

"Father, I'm still angry that you e executed my bride." He stated bitterly.

"That was necessary to show the people that bad behavior will not be tolerated." Vincent answered mechanically as his eyes continued to watch the fire that he had momentarily expanded. He still had his doubts.

"Yes, but I could have given her a punishment worthy of her crime, too father." Cabait replied, the bitterness in his voice growing. "Becoming my bride, she would have been my slave."

"No, my son." Vincent turned slightly. The light of the fire reflected off his eyes, making them glow and giving him the effect of a creature hidden in the darkness. "Miss Heartilly had to die."

* * *

A/N: Ha, ha, ha! I figured that last part would get your attention. The plot continues to thicken like my dad's potato soup, but unlike dad's nasty soup, this is going to get better and better! You only have one more person to meet, and I'm pretty sure if you think about it, you'll get who it is. Oh, I want to apologize for being so confusing thus far. It's supposed to be (even though some of you cough Gamer Legend cough have figured out my biggest secret) very mysterious for the first few chapters, but once you get past that, it turns into a pretty dark story. The introduction of Vincent and Cabait in this chapter is the beginnings of that dark element that I hope to exploit. Let's see how well that's going to go. Well, that's it from me for now. Thanks for reading! Later Days!

Hey, Gamer, I'm just messing with ya bud!


	9. Abduction

Well, I'm guessing that last chapter was a little bit more of a shock, huh? Oh, I forgot to ask how you guys liked Cabait. He serves a very important purpose, besides being the man Rinoa was once betrothed to. Heh, I liked that. I thought that was quite ingenious of me, actually. (Smiles smugly)

Okay, guys. Prepare yourselves. This is a long one.

Disclaimer: No own Final Fantasy VIII characters, places, yadda, yadda, yadda.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter Eight _

_"Abduction" _

"Are you sure that you know exactly what you're doing?" The General asked the one who stood in the shadows. The two had met in the little, Resistance- occupied town of Winhill, in an alley by the old abandoned house and bar once owned by Raine Leonhart.

"Yes," the other answered. The voice was a female's, and the General obviously had some sort of connection with this person, although they hid themselves from the light. The General himself was tucked away behind a heavy cloak with a hood that covered much of his head and face, not that it mattered as a cold drizzle covered the tiny town, mirroring the mood of the war-stricken place.

"You're making very risky decisions now, and I can't always be there to protect you." He said, fighting the urge to reach out to her. She had rejected him long ago.

"I don't always need your protection." She said tersely with some resentment.

"Of course not," he said sadly, turning away from her. "I never was the man you wanted me to be." Hurt was written all over his body and face that rested in the shadows of his hood.

"I never meant it like that. You had your duties, and they took up most of your time. I shouldn't have been so demanding." She took a step out but recoiled as the light moved over her upper body.

"No," the General said. "I should never have made my duties more important than you."

"You had no choice then. It doesn't matter now anyway. It prepared me for future rejection." The bitterness in her voice returned but the General knew it was mostly show. She had hidden her true feelings away from the world.

"No, I guess it doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is the future of Galbadia." He replied much more sternly than before. "Again, are you sure you know what you are doing?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, louder this time and aggravated. "I don't need you to be my shadow all the time! You weren't there when I needed you the most, so why are you trying to make up what's lost?" She demanded, losing her top finally.

"Because I owe you that much!" He countered. He tried not to allow her outburst trigger his own temper, but that was a much more difficult task. "And whether you want to admit to or not, you need my help to get top-secret information." He snapped.

She looked away, deeper into the shadows, ashamed that he was right. "I know," she whispered, although it was evident that she didn't wish to admit it.

"You may hate me, but I still want to help, even if I can't earn your respect. Please don't deny my chance to help." He was nothing short of begging now.

For the first time, she stepped out of the shadows to reveal her face with the little bit of light that shown through the darkened sky. "I know that you're only trying to help me, and I appreciate your effort, but the last thing I wish to do is get you involved in something that could be your downfall. Yes, I may hate you and everything that you stand for, but I am still connected to you and I never want anything to happen to you. I may not have much to live for anymore except the freedom of the enslaved, but you have your whole career that you love more than you ever did me. When it comes to duty and honor, I have always been second best." The General tried to interject and protest, but she held up a gloved hand, halting his objection. "No, don't interrupt me. You know it's true, but by now I'm used to it. I was second best even to the man I loved…" she trailed off, sadness filling her voice that she could no longer control.

It was his turn to look away, to avert his attention to another place down the dark alley. "I'll still do what I can to help you." His voice cracked, but he managed to show her some determination.

"No!" she exclaimed suddenly, forgetting about the hurt inside her. Her voice echoed off the side of the buildings that they were nestled between. "Don't you understand what I'm trying to say?" He still would not look at her. "I need to be able to do as much as I can without your help."

"But you need my information." He countered.

"Yes, that may be true, but I can't always run to you when I need help. I need to be able to stand on my own two feet." She told him gently, but explaining her point with some elements of force. "I know you just want to make sure that I can succeed, but even you can do very limited in this war. My chances are slim at best anyway, but I still need to try. It's the only purpose I have left." She spoke to him in a strong voice that told him she was determined and willing to sacrifice her own life for a better cause.

The General finally managed to look at her as she stood now only a few feet away from him now. "Does that mean you wish I had let you die?" He asked.

Ashamed, she knew she had to answer him, even if it wasn't what he wanted to hear. "Part of me does, yes." She said. It took everything she had to look him in the face.

"But you have so much to live for!" He cried out, exasperated by her response.

"Not as much as I thought I did." She replied sadly.

"What are you going to do when this war is over then?" he demanded.

"When the time comes, I will lead the final assault against Vincent Deling." She replied. He didn't need anymore than that to know that he will soon have to say goodbye to the one thing he had left in his life. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

He said nothing but turned his back on her hide the pain displayed on his worn features.

"You must at least try to understand…" she began but trailed off. There was no way she could try to get him to understand. He just couldn't know the pain and hurt she felt and the longing she held for a life once lived. "I'll do my best to fight for the good of the people."

"Please, let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I realize you want to fight this on your own, but you must know that I still care about you and I wish to help." He said, back still to her while his face looked up to the drizzled sky.

She nodded and reached over to lay a hand on his back tenderly. He didn't move but enjoyed the momentary affection that he would most likely never see from her again.

"I will, but give me the chance to at least try it on my own first." She pleaded.

"Yes, of course," he said, no longer caring. The pain was evident in his voice.

"Thank you," she said as her hand slowly pulled away from his back. The rain began to pick up, and she could smell the beginnings of a storm coming very soon. "I must go now." She stated, stepping back a few paces.

"Yes, I must too." He said, agreeing with her. "I have been here much too long. Sooner or later, someone will realize I'm gone."

She lifted the hood of her cloak over her head and wrapped the flaps tightly around her body. "Goodbye." She whispered, knowing this might be their last encounter and darted off out of the alley and into the deserted sand and cobble street of Winhill, leaving the General alone to say his final goodbyes.

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For the next twenty-four hours, Squall found himself in his office, trying his best to decipher the note that General Caraway had left for him. It was the worst code to crack that he'd been faced with in a long time. It had started to become an obsession that he needed to solve.

He kept a pot of black coffee close by and a dim light that gave him only enough to see the paper in front of him. He hadn't slept and didn't want to. He only wanted to understand what the General meant. He tried rewriting it, breaking into down into sections, everything! But nothing seemed to work, no matter what he did.

And, of course, everytime he hit a dead spot, his eyes would travel back up to the previous passage that had once been written by Rinoa. He reread it more than the general's and it filled him with a bit of hope. He wanted to hold onto hat hope for as long as possible, but he knew it would diminish sooner or later.

All day, he dismissed all visitors, feeling that this was more important. Xu and Quistis both respected his request and left him alone, but he never even heard anything from Alexis. He assumed that they had told her that he did not want to be disturbed. Either way, she remained out of sight to him while he fought against his on-going struggle of the note.

Of course, for a long time, a suggestion began to rise in the back of his mind that maybe he was looking for an answer in something that had nothing to give. He thought that, perhaps, he was reading too deep into this. He considered that maybe the meaning was meant to be surface value only. But he still couldn't help but look for a meaning deeper than he thought intended.

By the time night rolled around, Squall had been hit with quite an amount of paranoia. He felt that General Caraway was protecting him form something he couldn't see or fight against and the more he tried to understand it, the further into the darkness he went. It seemed that there would be no light at the end of this tunnel unless he spoke to General Caraway himself, but he couldn't even do that. He had no way to contact the General, and even if he did, it would be too dangerous with the war. He was still determined to stay out of it, no matter what. There were too many people that he had to protect here, and he wouldn't put their lives in an unnecessary danger.

As he thought about the people in Garden, he remembered General Caraway's warning: "…beware of those around. They are not whom they make themselves out to be…" He'd raked his brain so many times and still hadn't come up with anything that sounded right. He did, however, come up with one conclusion: There had to be a spy somewhere. But, you see, that was the problem! Why on Earth would there be a spy at Garden? Squall had made it very clear hat he would remain out of the war and that included turning down both sides. And, this being done so precariously, he didn't understand why Galbadia would send a spy.

He then thought about the robbery that happened not long ago. Information had to have leaked from somewhere about the experiment dealing with Rinoa. But only a select few knew about it.

Which narrowed it down to eight people.

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The sound of bullets was too close for comfort and growing closer with ach second that passed as the two figures ran from shadow to shadow, avoiding any light that may detect their presence. They both tried to remain as quiet as possible and move through the dark alleys. Deling City was under heavy patrol now and if they were caught the penalties would be severe. They were familiar faces to the Galbadian Military and blamed for a series of uprisings against Dictator Deling, so they had to remain well hidden. The storm and hail of bullets provided a good distraction and allowed them most of the coverage needed. Their destination was the entrance to the main sewage lines. There was a secret path down there that would lead them directly out of Deling City. They had taken that route many times and knew its every turn. Currently, the two of them were heading northeast to the small island of Balamb. It was there, they had been told, that they would find the help needed, but they had little time to get there. Their forces couldn't hold off much longer.

The two figures continued to their destination, moving swiftly and silently. Their feet made no noise, and they cast no shadows. This was a mission of extreme importance, and failure was not an option. They could not lose this war to Deling. There were too many innocent lives to protect.

They finally reached the south end of the city. The entrance to the sewer line that they were aiming for lay beneath a grate, well hidden from sight, but they had to proceed with extreme caution. Anyone could be watching, waiting for the opportunity to catch them off guard. It would have been more fun to be able to play with the sentry guards' heads a bit, but they were under extreme orders. Goofing off and neglecting their orders could put the entire mission in jeopardy and expose the Underground.

The rain began to come down harder now, and the sounds of bullets were beginning to cease. Soon enough, the Captains would pull the guards back and wait for the storm to pass. This was both good and bad. It was good because they wouldn't have to worry about the guards too much, but it was bad because the storm could expose their tracks and the Galbadian Military had eyes and ears everywhere. The storm wouldn't hide everything for them. There were still plenty of risks involved in this mission, and once again, failure was not an option.

The leaner, smaller figure motioned to the other, more muscular individual to follow across the wide street of Main Way. This was the most dangerous part of the Leaving-the-City challenge of the mission. The street was the best-lit and busiest street in the whole city and most of the top squads were stationed here, well hidden from any conspirators. They were bound to be seen in he most extreme caution wasn't executed.

So the two figures darted across the street, using the shadows as covers to help shield them from sight. The rain poured onto them, saturating their dark cloaks and battle clothing beneath. Occasionally, a bolt of lightening would shatter across the sky, bringing a few split seconds of light to the area where the two had to stop and find an area deeper within the shadows o hide until it faded once again. For the most part, they had good cover as they crossed the wide street. There were no signs of the enemy, but that didn't mean they weren't hiding somewhere. The two were on their guard and had to be until they had made it out of Deling City.

Once they crossed the street, they had to use the back alleys to reach the sewer line that would take them out of the city safely, but it was still a long trek as there was no direct route to the entrance. Instead, they had to weave their way through dark alleys and down exposed streets. Strangely enough, it was safer this way in case someone was following them. They could easily lose a tracker in the weaving paths that sent them through the city.

They still had to go past areas that were highly guarded by the Military squadrons that were watching for them and any other conspirators. It was difficult, even if the Captains had pulled back he teams for the duration of the storm. They would be more observant as they waited for the storm to pass, and the snipers would still be in position even as the storm occurred.

They were approaching heir destination, but they had to go by one more dangerous spot: the Caraway Mansion. The grate was in an alley behind the General's house, and they had to sneak past the sentry that guarded the main entrance. It wouldn't be too hard, but it was one of those things that were undesirable.

When they reached the Caraway Mansion, the sentry was gone. The two warriors found thus highly suspicious, but too the opportunity before it was no longer available. They went past the main entrance and over the fence hat led to he main alley where the grate was hidden. They went around the corner of the mansion to find that the grate was already open…

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Squall was still in his office when the clock tower in Balamb chimed ten o'clock, and he was still stuck on that note from the General. He'd concluded that there was a spy in Garden somewhere and they had something to do with the robbery of Rinoa's file. This assumption led him to consider eight people: Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Zell, Alexis, Xu, Laguna, and himself. Of course he could rule out himself as being a spy as he was sure he would know if he was a spy and relaying information to Galbadia. He was sure that he could rule out Quistis and Selphie also. They were the ones working on the experiment and it took more effort than he liked just to get updates on their progress. They chose to hoard information, and he had to use almost torture just to get them to talk.

He could rule out Irvine and Laguna, too. They both knew about the experiment, but they didn't know any extreme details. All they knew was that the experiment was in progress and that it was still in the tentative stages. They knew nothing about the results hat had been recorded and then later compared. He could also take Xu off the list. She was his assistant and had been with Garden longer than he had, and so he knew that she could have nothing to do with the leak. garden was all she had and all she'd ever known. It couldn't be her. It just wasn't possible.

So that narrowed the list even further down to two people: Zell and Alexis. Squall didn't want to point any fingers at anyone without proper investigation, but he had to put Zell off the list. Even though he wasn't too completely fond of Zell, he knew he wasn't a traitor. Zell upheld the SeeD Code of Honor possibly better than he did himself, and he would not relay top-secret information to the Galbadian powers. Zell was no fool, and Squall knew that.

So the last remaining person on the list of blame was Alexis. He didn't want to blame her without proof, but unfortunately, he had it. The card key used to get into the lab had belonged to Alexis. Of course, someone could have stolen the key fro her, but that someone had to have known about the experiment and been able to tell detailed information about its nature.

But he was sure that Alexis couldn't have done it. Well, at least he prayed and hoped that she was innocent, but her reputation betrayed her. Alexis' past that she told everyone- the story about her dead parents- did not fit. He hated to say that he was skeptical, but the story she told was too shady. He didn't believe it, but she insisted that it was true. He'd actually never challenged her story only because he never had the grounds to do so. And the day she appeared at Garden- he found even more suspicious- was the day when they just so happened to find out that Rinoa was dead. And how ironic it was that two years later, Alexis managed to replace Rinoa on the team, filling the empty void that she left.

Squall was suddenly very shocked at himself. Why was he trying to pick apart Alexis when he had begun to develop feelings for her? What had she done besides fit into a series of unfortunate events? She couldn't possibly be at fault. She couldn't have done anything wrong. No, Alexis seemed so pure and good to him. She never mocked anyone, never caused a scene, and never had any problems with anyone. She was almost short of being perfect.

And maybe that was the problem. Maybe she was too perfect for all of them, and that's why he found her so suspicious. Even Rinoa wasn't completely perfect. Yes, she may have been perfect for him, but she wasn't the perfect person in the entire world. Alexis was perfect, or at least tried to come off as perfect. Everything she did was done in such a way that no one could compete with her. She was quickly beginning to out rank everyone, including Rinoa.

And he didn't like it.

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The two warriors stared skeptically at the open grate, knowing that this possibly couldn't be good news. Someone was expecting them and this was obviously a trap.

"Damn!" Brick whispered harshly as his dark eyes focused on the grate.

"They know we're here," Mika concluded. "That's why it was so easy getting this far. They're waiting for us." She cursed their luck.

"Well, we have to keep going." Brick said, taking command of the situation. "We have no other choice. Failure is not an option. We have to reach the Commander."

"Yes, but how?" Mika demanded. Her hand went to her back where her custom twin blades were currently strapped. "If they're waiting to ambush us down there, we have to find another way out of the city, and we can't leave without going through a sentry checkpoint.

Brick watched the natural reaction of a threatening situation take hold of Mika. She automatically reached for her weapons. This gave him a very good idea. "So we continue the way we planned." He replied, pulling out his massive double-edged sword.

"So, we're going straight into the ambush?" She demanded, glaring at him in partial disgust.

"Yes,"

She frowned but slowly pulled out her blades. "Doesn't that sort of seem like something they would want us to do?" she asked.

"Probably," he answered without caring much. He was more concerned with preparing for battle.

"So wouldn't it make more sense to find another way out?" she was becoming agitated with him.

"No," He replied as he walked over to the grate. Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, he jumped in.

"What the…?" she exclaimed. Now she was aggravated. "Oh, for the love of Hyne!" She gripped her blades tightly and ran over to the grate following him in.

She landed in a dark chamber on cold concrete. The sound of dripping water could be heard echoing off the sides of the passageway. The place was rank, and one could only imagine just what was down here.

"Nothing yet," Brick said from behind her, making her jump. She felt him walk around her. "Come one, the light switch is in the main line."

She couldn't see her hand in front of her but walked closely behind Brick, weapons ready to strike anything that moved. She trembled slightly at the anticipation of an upcoming battle and had to force herself to breathe properly, something that was difficult to do in her excitement.

"Keep your ears open for the slightest sound." Brick warned.

"I know," she whispered gruffly. She didn't need him to tell her what to do.

He said nothing more but led her into the main sewage line. He felt along the wall while she stood guard at the entrance, one sword behind her, one in front ready to strike. It took him some time and some bad language, but he found the switch, lighting the line dimly, just enough for them to see their way out of Deling City.

They both looked around and saw that there was no one here. It was completely barren, save for them and the sewer rats.

"This…doesn't fit." Mika said, shaking her head.

"No, it doesn't, but we can't worry about it right now." Brick stated firmly. "We need to keep going."

Mika couldn't help but become slightly angered by this. "You're not being very precautious here!" she exclaimed.

Brick whirled around and glared at her. "We don't have time to be precautious!" he snapped. "We need to reach the Commander!"

"And what good is that going to do us?" she demanded, highly agitated.

"He can help us!" Brick countered.

"Think again, muscle man!" she yelled. "The Commander will never help us! He doesn't believe in entering a war that has no purpose!"

"No purpose?" Brick boomed. "This war has a purpose!"

"The Commander thinks it doesn't." she replaced her blades back into heir sheaths on her back.

"Then why are we even doing this?" He asked her.

"Because the Captain thinks he's out last hope." She answered, folding her arms over her chest.

"But how can we convince him to help us?" Brick followed her example and returned his own blade to its proper spot.

"We don't even bother asking," she replied, a smile crawling up to her face.

Brick shook his head, showing that he didn't quite understand what she was saying.

"Abduction," she explained further. The cocky grin on her face shown clearly and nearly made Brick laugh.

"You want to kidnap the Commander?" Brick asked, shocked.

"Yes," she said, walking around him and heading down the path.

Brick only nodded, trying to hide his shock and amusement. She had more courage than he gave her credit for. They walked in silence until they were out of range of their entrance where their entire conversation had been overheard.

"Perfect," Cabait whispered wickedly.

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But why didn't he like it? What was so wrong with someone taking Rinoa's place?

At those questions, Squall seriously felt like banging his head against the nearest wall. He didn't want anyone taking Rinoa's place. And yet, he was allowing someone to do that. Why? Why, when he hated losing her begin with, would he allow someone to move in and take her spot? He didn't want to admit it, but he'd been blind by Alexis' intentions. He couldn't even be sure that she even truly loved him.

By now, he had concluded that Alexis at least had something to do with the robbery. Of course, he was probably just jumping to conclusions because the paranoia was driving him crazy, but he was certain that she knew something. The only thing was, he didn't have any means to prove that she was guilty. She could easily back out of the card key accusation, saying that someone had stolen it. So, he had to find a way o expose her.

But that didn't make sense. Alexis had been with Garden for five years. Why would she wait so long to do something like this? He was so confused and talking himself out of every good argument he had. He continuously debated with himself putting every good idea he had down and out of his head. He hated doing this to himself, but when Rinoa left, his sanity went with her. Since then, he'd been having mental debates with himself more frequently than he liked to admit. Dr. Kadowaki had tried to help him with medication but nothing worked. He was a lost cause and nothing and nobody could help him, including himself.

He sighed and dropped his head onto the table. The clock beside him read 10:45 PM, and he was still here, broken and confused. Nothing made sense anymore, and he didn't know what he was doing. Sometimes he wondered if he should step down and let someone much more qualified take over. He was no leader and the past five years had proven that to him. He knew he didn't deserve this job. Someone had to be better at this than he was. He didn't understand why Cid had chosen him, but he felt it had been a very bad error in judgment on the part of the previous Headmaster.

He was stuck in a position that he didn't belong it.

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The only reason why Alexis had been very scarce for much of the day was because she was in the library, trying to find out more about Rinoa. She was so bent on finding out what had been so special about her. What did she have that Alexis didn't? That's what she wanted to know.

So Alexis spent most of the day learning about Rinoa. She read opinions of people from Galbadia, Esthar, and Balamb, but by the time night rolled around, she wasn't any closer to understanding Rinoa Heartilly. There was still an aura of mystery surrounding her.

She sat in the abandoned library, still. She was at a table in the back, twiddling her thumbs and chewing on the end of her pencil. She was thoroughly stumped, but she wasn't ready to give up yet. She still had some juice left, but she didn't know where to start.

Her eyes went over the dark library slowly until they rested on a nearby computer. That was the one thing she hadn't tried yet. Getting up, she walked over to the computer and woke it from sleep mode. Being on the top team, she was able to access the Garden database. She went through and typed Rinoa's name.

She was surprised at what came up. Rinoa's bio and a picture showed on the screen, but in the top right corner, a red message flashed: "Match Found." Curious, she clicked on it. It took a few passwords to get it to open, but she managed to access another screen showing two matching fingerprints. One was labeled as "the Robbery fingerprint" and the other was labeled as "Rinoa's known fingerprint."

Alexis' eyes trained solely on the robbery fingerprint. She thought about the night of the robbery and the security video she had seen with Quistis.

"Oh…my…god!" she exclaimed. "That bitch!" she jumped up, cut off the monitor and ran out of the library. Squall needed to know.

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It was quarter after eleven, and Squall found himself highly uneasy. He couldn't help the feeling that something bad was going to happen soon. He'd never had this feeling before and knew it couldn't be false. He knew something had to be wrong.

Of course, he could be paranoid, but that didn't explain the intensity of the feeling. The General's note had to be the ultimate warning that something was going to happen to him. Rejecting the offer of Vincent Deling, he now felt, may have been a big mistake.

As far as he knew, there was only one thing he could do. He reached over to his desk and pulled out a black sheet of paper. He needed to leave instructions for Quistis and Xu. Something was bound to happen to him, and he had a feeling that it would be tonight.

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The Captain was roaming the corridors of the Underground base when she came across the Development Room where Cooper had stashed himself away from the others since Mika and Brick left on their mission.

"Hey, Cooper," she said, walking in and leaning against one of the counters. The Development Room was where all scientific experiments were done. Cooper liked to tinker with things and create new weapons and other things that could be useful for the Underground.

"Oh, hey Captain." He said, looking up from the book he was currently buried within.

"Uh, Cooper, I have a job for you." She said, then adding, "Pretty please?"

"Uh-oh," he said, grinning. He closed his book. "What's up?"

"I was wondering how much do you know about gunblades?" she asked

Cooper let out a short, entertained laughed before lifting the book he'd been reading. It's title read: Construction and Use for the Basic Gunblade. "Does that answer your question?" He asked, grinning.

"It sure does!" she said laughing. "So are you up for a little challenge?" she asked, pointing to the book.

"Sure, I guess." He shrugged but then added, "But it depends on what it is."

"Well, do you remember the Lionheart gunblade?" she asked.

Cooper's face lit up. "Do I! That had to have been the greatest weapon ever made! It had automatic strength at 255, lock-on target capabilities, and an ultra sensitive trigger button that, when released, shot off power bolts of pulsar ammo! It was so cool!" He exclaimed, voice growing louder.

The Captain laughed at his response. "So I take it you know a little bit about this gunblade?" she asked.

"A little bit," he replied, grinning. "But what's your point?"

"I need you to make another one, but I want this one even more powerful than anything ever created." She stared at him seriously.

Cooper's jaw nearly hit the floor. "You want me to create something more powerful than the Lionheart Gunblade? W-w-w-why?" He asked, shaking.

"Because it's time for an update." She answered.

"That would require advanced skills in alchemy, and mine aren't exactly what you would call advanced!" He exclaimed. "Not to mention the type of materials needed!"

"But can you do it?" she asked eagerly. This seemed to be extremely important to her.

"I could try, but I'm not guaranteeing anything." He said nervously.

"I'll get you all the materials you need, Cooper, but please try." The Captain begged.

"All right, all right!" He exclaimed, making her stop. "I'll do it, but I'm not making any promises."

"Oh, thank you, Cooper!" She reached over and hugged him. He wasn't expecting her to do that and mumbled disturbed "You're welcome." She pulled back, embarrassed. "Uh, sorry." She cracked her knuckles nervously.

"It's okay." He forced a smile.

"And I'll get you anything you need, too. Just let me know." She told him.

"Okay, okay! Chill, Captain! I said I'd do it." He exclaimed laughing. "But why do you want me to do this?"

"I already told you." Her face grew very serious. "Because it's time for an update."

"An update to what? Or for whom?" he asked, not convinced by her answer.

The Captain sighed at his persistence. "An update to the Lionheart gunblade and yes, it is for someone, but that is all I will tell you." She replied very sternly.

"Okay, that's all you had to say." His face flushed. "I'll do my best."

"Thanks, Cooper." She smiled and left him alone to begin his new project.

"No problem, Captain." He said once she was gone and dove back into book.

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Squall still sat in his office, writing away, giving detailed directions for Quistis and Xu, letting them know that they were in charge. He knew something was going to happen to him. He was certain of that now, and he knew it would happen tonight. He was completely unarmed and defenseless. His gunblade lay in its case in his room on the first floor where it usually sat. He was pretty much doomed since he was just about useless in hand-to-hand combat.

But then again, maybe this was fate. Maybe this was what was supposed to happen. He didn't understand why, but it just kind of fit. He didn't want it to have to be that way, but he doubted if anything else would work as well.

So he went on writing, knowing that his time was very limited.

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The two warriors reached the Balamb peninsula at a few minutes to 11:45. They were right on schedule. All they had left to do was get to the Garden and find the Commander. They had decided that reasoning with the stubborn Commander would be pointless and a colossal waste of time, so instead, they would do something a little bit more extreme. They would kidnap the Commander and take him back to the Underground base where they would leave the heavy "convincing" to the Captain. They figured that she would be better qualified to deal with the Commander.

They traveled up to the Garden with ease. It was dark and the little town of Balamb was sleeping soundly, much unlikely Deling City where guards were stationed twenty for hours. This part of the mission was possibly the easiest and less stressful than the rest.

Upon reaching the Garden, they stepped outside the entrance.

"Now what? We can't go through the main gate. We look too suspicious." Mika told him.

"Well, I doubt if there's another way in that won't trip an alarm." He replied. "We'll just have to take the risk."

"Fine, but we have to make this fast." She said, snapping.

He nodded and the two proceeded into the Garden.

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Alexis ran from the library, determined to find Squall and tell him what she had found. He needed to know, even though she realized that doing so would distance him from her even more.

She knew he had to be still in his office. He'd been there all day and whatever it was he was doing, he probably hadn't completed it yet. Quistis told her when he became obsessed with something he had to work on it until it was done. But Alexis didn't even know what it was working on that would make him so crazy.

She decided to skip the elevator and take the stairs, but as she approached the stairway, she heard voices. Voices that she was very familiar with. She stepped back into the shadows of the wall as the owners of the two voices came into view.

"Do we have everything we need to get the job done?" Mika asked Brick.

"Yes," he answered. "And the sooner we do this, the sooner we can help the Resistance."

"If he'll even help at all," she snorted.

"He will," he defended. "He has to."

The two continued up the stairs, speaking in whispered voices that Alexis could no longer hear.

"What are they doing here?" Alexis whispered. Panic began to rise in her, and she fled. Squall no longer needed to know.

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The fear had now taken over him as he continued to write down all the things that Quistis and Xu needed to know. He was writing so very sloppy by now because he felt his doom coming. It was two minutes to midnight, and he was far more than paranoid by now. He was sweating and shaking and trying to gain control of himself, but it wasn't working. He was turning into a wreck. This had to be he end, or at least close to it. Maybe he would be joining Rinoa soon.

It was now exactly one minute to midnight. The full moon outside hid behind a cloud, taking away some of his light. He didn't want to turn on another light and draw any unwanted attention. He could see okay enough to finish his instructions. He felt like he was still forgetting something, but panic was taking over.

_Dong, dong, dong_. The clock tower in Balamb was going off now. It was midnight and he knew he only had a few seconds left.

_Dong, dong, dong._ He was rushing, and his heart was racing, pounding in his chest. He had so much left to tell them in so little time.

_Dong, dong, dong._ He could barely read his own writing and the sweat was dripping down his face and onto the paper below. It looked like tear drops splashing onto the letter.

_Dong, dong._ He was almost done and tried to finish quickly. But he never got the chance to finish signing his name.

Everything went black as the last chime echoed throughout Balamb.

* * *

A/N: So? Did ya like it? This is where everything starts to turn dark. I'm sorry it was so long, but a lot needed to be said here. Oh, and sorry for the continuous change in point of views. It was confusing, I know, but hopefully it will start to make sense. This is unlike anything I've ever written before, and I like it. I hope you do too.

Okay, here's the story: this is the last chapter to be posted for a little while. Exam time is coming up and I've got a whole lot that I need to do, and I also want to add to the suspense a little bit. And I kinda need to work on a few of my other stories to. It's just a little break and it shouldn't be for no more than a month. Thanks, guys! Later Days!


	10. Where Am I?

Hey guys! Miss me? Sorry I had to take so long. I was getting behind in my schoolwork, and I had a few things that needed taken care of, but I'm back and ready to entertain you! Why do I feel like a comedian who's being controlled by the mass majority? Oh, no! Not the evil tomatoes! AHHH!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Final Fantasy. But maybe I will someday. Who knows? It could happen. Doubtful, but it could all the same.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter Nine _

_"Where Am I?"_

The Captain had finally fallen into a much-needed sleep in the System Control Room where it appeared to be the only place she could get some peace. She was quite content and comfortable, that is until someone started prodding her arm. She swiped at the offending thing, but it simple wouldn't quit.

"Go away," she mumbled, angered.

"CAPTAIN!" Mika yelled, making her fall out of the chair, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

"Ouch!" she groaned. "Mika, what is the meaning of this?" she demanded, raising her voice in anger.

"We're back, obviously." She shrugged.

Her anger subsided and a smile crept up to her thin lips. "Oh, really?" she raised an eyebrow, obviously amused. "So soon?"

Mika eyed the Captain suspiciously. "You don't seem too surprised." She crossed her arms over her chest as the Captain rose from the floor.

"I don't?" she asked innocently, smiling broadly now.

"No, you don't." Mika said, then her eyes lit up in realization. "This is what you wanted us to do all along, wasn't it?" she demanded. "That's what you meant when you told us not to take no for answer, isn't it?"

The Captain smiled. "Maybe," she brushed herself off and walked past Mika to the door. "So where is he?" she asked.

"In the containment area, but he's still knocked out." Mika answered. She followed the Captain to the spot where they had taken the Commander. The Captain pushed open the door and the two proceeded into the room.

The containment area was the darkest, coldest area of the whole base. It was something of a prison, but they never used it. The Captain was usually against it.

"Brick thinks he'll be out for a while." She said.

The Captain found him, slumped against the cold wall with his head onto his shoulder. Her eyes followed over his face. The scar she was once fascinated by had faded over the past few years, and his features had hardened, showing his maturity. He was still pale, though, and she worried that he wasn't taking proper care of himself. She continued down to his body and saw that he no longer wore his trademark jacket or pendent. Instead, he wore a plain leather jacket and his white tee shirt. She could see his relaxed muscles underneath the jacket and knew that he was still very strong. Glancing at his hands, she saw that they were tied together in his lap. He wore black jeans and his customary black boots.

Mika, you are dismissed now," she said, never taking her eyes off him. Mika nodded and left, closing the door quietly behind her.

The Captain walked over and kneeled beside his sleeping form. She reached out and touched his flawless cheek, fighting her emotions that threatened to take over. He still looked just like she remembered; only a little bit more matured and grown up.

"So this is what's become of the great Commander Leonhart, huh?" she asked, stroking his cheek now. He didn't even move or make any sign of life at all, and so, just to be on the safe side, she moved the back of her hand to his lips just to make sure that he was still breathing. He was, and she would relax a little. She moved a piece of longer hair away from his eyes and let her fingers play at the faded scar. She loved that scar; it defined him, made him unique, and she could not picture him without it. "Since when do you let your guard down?" she whispered, her finger now sliding down his nose to his lips.

She stopped at his lips and pulled away, suddenly fearful of touching him. She got up and retreated back to the corner of the room where a table sat. She didn't see a chair anywhere so she climbed onto the small table and hugged her knees to her chest. She would wait until he woke, no matter how long it took.

Fortunately, it didn't' take long. He began to groan and move his head from side to side. She didn't move but watched him. He continued to groan until he finally opened his eyes.

"Ugh, where am I?" He asked, moaning. He looked down and was shocked to see his hands tied together. "What the hell is this?" he demanded. He pulled at his wrists, but someone had done good job of tying his wrists.

"It's only procedure," she whispered, almost as if she were frightened to speak to him.

He jerked his head in her direction. "Procedure for what?" he demanded, resentfully. He tried to stand up, but he was too drained.

"Don't bother trying to over exert yourself." She said yawning.

He didn't listen to her and forced himself up the wall, but it was too strenuous and he panted and had to use the wall for support.

"I told you not to bother," she said, sliding off the table and walking over to him.

"Who the Hell are you?" he demanded.

She walked over and stood in front of him, trying to ignore the hatred in his eyes. "I am known by many different names, some used and most forgotten. My true name is of no use to both of us, so you may call me Nira." She replied. Her eyes stared at the ropes that she knew were hurting his wrists.

"Alright, Nira, what the Hell is this about and where am I?" he demanded.

"I you want, I can take those off," she pointed to the ropes.

"Answer my question!" he snapped.

"Fine," she said, sighing. "You are at the Underground base in Centra." She backed away from him to the opposite wall.

"Why?" he demanded, anger covering his features.

"Because we need your help." She answered.

"For what?" His tone didn't get any better as she still just glared at her.

"For the war," she replied. "Now I have a few questions for you, Commander." It was her turn to be resentful as she produced the folder that had been taken from the Garden.

Squall saw and took a step forward. "You're the one who broke into Garden!" he declared.

"Yes, but that's not relevant to what I'm asked. What the Hell is this?" she demanded. Now it was personal.

"Why do you care?" he demanded. "It has nothing to do with you."

_You have no idea_. She thought to herself, looking away. The folder dropped to the floor, its pages scattered across the stone floor. "Maybe not," she couldn't handle this anymore and needed to get out.

"You'll remain here until we decide what to do with you. Someone will come by every now and then to make sure that you are well-suited." She refused to look at him as she spoke and moved to the door.

"How long will I be here?" he demanded, voice softening only slightly.

"Until you decide to help us or we find something else for you to do." She replied and opened the door. "You might as well get used to this." She said and closed the door behind her. She slumped against it, tears coming to her eyes.

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It was several hours that he sat in that room until she appeared again, but this time she brought food. It was nothing special but a hot dog and mashed potatoes. He'd almost fallen asleep when she came, but the creaking of the door brought him to focus. She entered almost timidly, like she was afraid he'd see or hear her and lash out. He watched her through half-lidded eyes as she set the plate of food on the table.

"I know you don't like hot dogs, but that's what the others wanted." She walked over to him and inspected the ropes. She could tell that he'd been trying to get them off and as a result, they were rubbing him raw.

He only shrugged at her words and closed his eyes again. He didn't see her pull out a long knife from her boot and begin to cut the ropes from his sore wrists. He didn't really care, either. While she'd been gone, he inspected the room thoroughly and found that the door was locked and barred. There were no windows and the only light came from a tiny, dim light bulb that hung down from the ceiling. A tiny cot rested in the corner by the door, but he had little interest in it. This place was nothing more than a prison to him, and he sure felt like a prisoner.

He felt a great relief come to his wrists and looked down to see them freed from the ropes, which bound him. He rubbed them, wincing at the feeling of the tender skin now being agitated. Both of his wrists were red and chaffed. His left one was much worse than the right, and he covered it up with his hand.

Nira reached over and moved his hand to look at his wrists. Brick's ropes had done a number on it, and she feared it may become infected and hurt him badly. She touched a particularly bad spot lightly with her finger and felt him wince again. She knew she'd have to find something to cover it up with.

Squall watched her, the resentment he felt lifting only slightly as he stared into her face. There was something about her that seemed, well, familiar, but he knew there was no way he could've see her before. She was so strange to him, and he was positive he would remember someone so odd. But it was only her face, he realized, that truly caught his attention. She had a beautiful face that featured two dark eyes with hints of something almost sinister and soft lips that were contorted in a hesitant way as she inspected his wounded wrist. But the most notable and unusual feature about her was her pale face. With her deep red hair that fell about her shoulders, it looked so odd, yet it fascinated him.

"What did you say your name was?" he asked, intently watching her face.

"Nira," she replied, not looking up at him but focusing on his wound.

"Last name?" he inquired. He sounded so formal and she almost laughed aloud.

"My original surname I dropped long ago, and it's not often that someone asks me for my full name." she looked up, obviously having to think about it. "Let's see, Nira O'Realliy." She met his questioning eyes and forced a smile. "How's that?"

He only nodded and shrugged. There was just something about her that didn't seem right, something that was too familiar about her. It was chilling, and he gently pulled his hand away from her. She immediately noticed his cold manner and slid away from him and drew her knees up to her chest. They stared at each other for some time until he finally broke the silence.

"Why am I here?" he asked, keeping his eyes trained on her. His gaze was harsh, and she had to look away from him to keep her cool. He couldn't know. She had to make sure that he didn't know.

"I already told you that." She answered.

"You only said for the war. You didn't exactly specify." He said. He watched her squirm and knew that if he kept on she would break sooner or later. He could tell that she was concealing something, and he suddenly wanted to know what it was.

She sighed and clutched her knees to her tighter. "I'm pretty sure you know, but right now you're the last hope of the Resistance. We're losing this war, and we can't afford to do so. We need your help to take out the main powers and move in before Galbadia releases their major weapon."

Squall's face darkened with anger. "I will tell you the exact same thing I told General Caraway: I have no interest in entering this war. It's of no purpose to me, and I won't endanger the lives of those who aren't even involved." He whispered harshly.

Nira jumped up in shock. "General Caraway requested a team from Garden?" she demanded.

"Yes," he nodded. "In fact, he wanted the top three teams from each Garden contracted for the duration of the war."

"Damn!" she exclaimed, looking away.

"I told him no, and I tell you no." he said sternly.

The Captain was still going off about the news that General Caraway had spoken to Squall about hiring teams. She knew it was probably just part of his job, but she couldn't help feeling slightly hurt. She suddenly looked back at his angry face. "We shall see." She replied and turned to leave yet again.

"Now where are you going?" he demanded. He was surprised suddenly that he cared.

Squall scowled and stared at the door with suspicious eyes. He finally broke away and walked over to the table. Completely ignoring the food, he grabbed the folder that he had cleaned up earlier and went back to his spot against he wall as he looked through the folder.

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"What's wrong?" Mika asked as the Captain came bursting into the System Control Room. She was shaking with anger and fear. She came in and fell into a chair, dropping her head into her hands.

"General Caraway already talked to him about gaining teams for the war. He's determined to remain out of the war!" she groaned, her voice coming out as a disgruntled mumble.

"What does that mean?" Mika asked, swerving around in her chair to face the Captain.

She looked up. "It means our job has just gotten a lot harder!" she exclaimed.

"Hmm," Mika began. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe telling him the truth would make everything so much easier?"

The Captain groaned and dropped her head back down into her hands. "I can't do that." She said.

"And why not?" Mika demanded. "It's not that hard."

"You have no idea!" she exploded, jumping up and pacing around the room. "I can't tell him the truth because one, he won't believe it and accuse me of doing something horrible, and two, I just couldn't bring myself to tell him. It just wouldn't be right."

Mika was now sporting a look of pure confusion. "Okay, so telling him the truth isn't right?" she asked. The Captain nodded. "Is that supposed to make sense? Because it doesn't."

"It makes sense to me," the Captain said sadly. "That's the bad part about it."

"So what are you going to do?" Mika asked.

"I'm going to appeal to his better nature," she replied, smiling coyly.

"Eh?" The confused look was back.

"I'm going to use fire," she explained. "He'll help us once he knows what Galbadia plans to do with his precious Rinoa."

"But that's not-" Mika began, but the Captain help us her hand to halt her protest.

"He doesn't know that, and I intend to keep it that bit of information away from him." She told Mika in such a way that also meant: _And that means keep your mouth shut!_

Mika shook her head in almost disappointment. "I still think you should tell him the truth."

"I already told you!" The Captain exclaimed. "I can't do that!" the Captain went back to her pacing.

"Yes, you can!" Mika argued. "You need to be honest with him!"

The Captain exploded at this. "I need to be honest with him?" she demanded, furious. "I haven't been honest with him in five years! Why start now?" she demanded.

"Maybe it's time for a change?" Mika suggested calmly.

The Captain's face fell and her anger dispersed. She looked away from Mika. "I've changed so much that I don't even know who I am anymore." If she had any left, she would've shed some tears, but she was bereft of those.

"You know I didn't mean it that way." Mika said, walking over to her superior and laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The Captain nodded. "I know," she stepped away from Mika. "It's just that with him being here I just don't feel like myself, not that I knew myself before he even came, but now I feel like I need to protect myself just to protect him. I feel like the villain here, and to some extent I know I am. I've caused so many problems that I seems other people have to fix because I can't reveal my identity that I promised to hide forever from the world, and yet I know I can't do that. I'm dead to the one person who's ever loved me for me and not because of my power. But I betrayed him. I ran away, thinking that I still had something more important to do, but I never realized my most important task was to be with him. We had a bond that I broke because I didn't see what I was destined to do. He had been the hero, and I became jealous. I wanted to show the world that I wasn't just a pretty face." She shook her head miserably. "And look where it landed me. I'm in a life that's not mine, and I can't ever get my old life back."

"You can get it back it you truly want it." Mika said wisely.

The Captain shook her head sadly. "No, that's where you're wrong." She walked over to the monitors that displayed the outside world, a world in which the Captain no longer belonged. "I gave up that life so I could continue what I thought I needed to do. If I were to return to my old life, it would never be accepted. I would be imprisoned, rejected, and hated." She sighed heavily, making Mika aware of the burden she carried. "No, it's better if I stayed dead."

"You're truly miserable, aren't you?" Mika asked.

The Captain only nodded. Her slender, gloved fingers played with a frayed edge on her cloak, but her eyes remained fixed on the monitors as if she longed to be out there without having to worry about he dangers of her identity.

Mika didn't know what else to say to her superior and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She knew she couldn't help her. She doubted if anyone really could. She'd lost so much and had become only a shell over the years. She'd given up her glory years in order to help others, when she herself was the one who needed help.

"You can still get out," Mika whispered to her, trying to give her some form of encouragement.

"No, it's too late for me." The Captain said sighing once again. "My only option left is death."

This shocked Mika. "Death?" she asked, eyes wide. "You're not seriously considering death, are you?"

The Captain turned around to finally face Mika. "Mika," she began seriously. "Before the end of this war, I know I will die."

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Squall was still stuck in his makeshift prison, but he almost didn't mind. There was just something that made him not care that this crazy group had pretty much kidnapped him. Maybe this was the answer to his plea? If he could remain here for the duration of this war, he honestly wouldn't mind. Let someone else deal with all the problems. He needed a break from the headache, maybe even a permanent one.

For the past hour maybe, he concentrated on the stolen folder, going through it with much more suspicion than he was used to. It shocked him how much he was bothered by the folder and this Nira person. There was just something about her that made him highly uneasy, and he was unaccustomed to this feeling. What could she possibly have wanted with this folder? He had been so convinced, so sure, that Galbadia had been his thief that he didn't leave any room for other options, and now he was paying the price for that. But what did she want with information on Rinoa? He didn't understand, but he had to talk to her to understand the whole situation.

Before long, he was pacing around the room, holding the folder in his hands, thinking. It seemed that he could only ask questions. That aggravated him fully. He hated not knowing anything. He was so used to always being in the center, knowing both sides of the story, but this time, he didn't know either one. He was in the dark on this one, and it sucked.

He opened the folder and pulled out Rinoa's picture. It was just a standard SeeD picture that Quistis had gotten from the system, but it still served its purpose. He loved seeing that picture. He loved seeing any picture of her because it was almost as if she were there again. He knew it was no substitute, but, oddly, he was fine with that.

From the outside, looking in, the Captain watched him hold the picture in his hands like a precious object. She felt her heart shatter all over again, and her mind drifted back to the day when she tore his picture into shreds after she had stolen it from him. Yes, she felt bad, but it was something that needed to be done. She couldn't hold onto him forever. She'd given up her life with him, yet seeing him again made that so much more difficult to understand and conquer. She wanted to tell him everything but knew she couldn't. He couldn't know anymore than he absolutely needed to. This operation needed to be done with ease and without the chaos of his extended knowledge. He would know, maybe one day, but not until after her ultimate death.

This made her think back to he letter she had hidden in her room. She had written it a long time ago when it became apparent that she would have to include Squall in this operation. At one point, she had intended to keep him removed from the war, that included both sides, but as the war continued on, she realized that the only way they could win would be with outside assistance, and Squall and SeeD were the perfect candidates for the job. So she wrote a letter to him. It ended up being several pages long, and she wished it to be given to him once she was dead. It explained everything to him, everything that had been left out over the past five years. It was the only thing she had that would be completely honest with him. She owed him that, if nothing else.

She was leaning against the wall opposite the door that separated him from her. He thoughts were entangled and scrambled within each other, confusing her and making the whole situation even worse than she preferred it to be.

She stared at the door. It became a symbol for her. In it, she saw herself, or the self she was now. It was the only thing that kept her from him. It was the part of her, the evil, which made her life so miserable and unbecoming. She saw it as the barrier that she couldn't pass, what protected him from her and her from him. It was the thing she loathed.

"You can come in," he said from the doorway. He'd seen her from the inside, and gone out, knowing the door wasn't locked. It hadn't been since her last visit. "I won't bite."

He shocked her with the address, and she nearly slid down the wall. He grabbed her arm, his grip tight, painful, and unfriendly. She noticed his coldness even as she looked up into his grey eyes while he studied her face, looking for a weakness or a familiarity that would tell him something, anything. He only wanted answers, but she couldn't give him any of those that he desired. In her guilt, she was forced to look away, her cheeks reddening slightly, but his hand only held her tighter, putting more force into the action. She fought to cry out, the pain was searing, almost bringing tears to her eyes. Her muscles tightened, fighting him.

He took a step closer to her, trying to intimidate her as he spoke to her, voice dark and threatening. "Just how tough are you?"

She wouldn't answer, only tightened up again, but she was running out of will power to fight him, and she knew he wasn't even using all of his strength. Sooner or later, she knew she would break, but where her physical strength lacked, her mental strength was much more powerful. He could torture her all he wanted, but he could never get into her mind.

She grit her teeth harder and tried to fight him still, but she was weakening. He was testing her, but she would lose soon, although she didn't want to. She had to keep telling herself to be strong and to fight him, but it hurt. Soon, the pain would completely overtake her, and she would be forced to cry out for mercy.

He was saying something now, but she couldn't understand him through the pain and her own mind screaming. A burning sensation started at her neck and then traveled, like shockwaves, through her body. It gave her a new form of strength, and she encouraged it to attack the offender. She told it to seek and destroy, to protect her from the harm with which he was threatening her.

Suddenly, he pulled away, letting go of her. She now noticed that the pain had stopped and the shockwave heat was slowly dispersed into nothing more than a tingling sensation. She moved her eyes to look at him, almost tentatively. He held his hand like it hurt him and stared at her with suspicious eyes, but she didn't understand. What happened? Then she understood. Her eyes suddenly filled with terror, and she was forced to look away again. She felt his heated glare on her, and she winced. He didn't say anything but watched her, his suspicion growing. She looked back at him again, and they locked eyes for several moments before she began to retreat away from him.

"Stop," he said, whispering. He rubbed his wounded hand but still watched her.

She obeyed but said nothing. Only her eyes questioned and almost feared him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm no one who matters." She took another step back.

He didn't push that any further but instead moved on to another question. "Why am I here?"

"My final request," she replied, still meeting his eyes.

He didn't reply but moved back into his semi prison, confused. He didn't notice that she had followed him until he turned around to see her standing in the doorway. His eyes went over her thing, lean body. She was quite beautiful, he would give her that, but she still didn't seem o fit. Her dark red hair was done in a loose braid that hung over her shoulder, unraveling. She wore a black leather dress that stopped just above her thigh with a slit up the right slight that exposed her pale flesh. It worked as her battle uniform with a brown leather binding around the bust and a belt that held two revolvers on either hip, and a sword was strapped onto her back. Her eyes were a dark brown, almost black, mixed with a fiery red orange that almost swirled around her cornea. Her eyes were bewitching and almost disturbing. There was something unreal about them, and with her pale face, she looked almost like a ghost.

She watched him look over her body, knowing that he was trying to make a connection. Maybe somewhere in the depths of his mind he knew exactly who she was, but he was trying to make it difficult than it needed to be. Maybe he wanted her to remain dead; maybe it was better for him to think that she was dead than deal with the harsh reality that she had lied to him for five years.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

"Does that mean you'll help?" she asked, the corners of her mouth turning up into the beginnings of a smirk.

"I'll consider it if I know what you plan to do," he answered.

She sighed and entered the room, walking over to the table. She leaned against it, not facing him but concentrating on the wood of the table. "As I'm sure you are quite aware, our enemy is the corrupted Galbadian Government." She began. It became evident to him that she was choosing every spoken word with care. "A few days ago, we obtained valuable information that gave us a clue as to what Galbadia plans to do next."

"Which is?" he demanded. He didn't care for extraneous details. He only wanted the bare-boned facts for now.

She turned to him, her features slightly displaying either anger or agitation. "I'm not there yet." Her voice was dark and authoritive. "The Galbadian leaders have lost all morals and respect that maybe they once had." She walked over to the center of the room and began pacing back and forth. He leaned against the wall and watched her, now reserving his comments. "They plan to make a super weapon that would defeat the Resistance once and for all. At the core of this weapon is sorceress magic, but to obtain that source, Galbadia plans to dig up Rinoa Heartilly's remains." She had to force out the lost name and it was more effort than she had thought. "These scientists want to extract the magic from her bones into a usable substance for this weapon." She was shaking now, lies and guilt going through her mind.

Squall couldn't hide his shock as these words fell on his ears. "Galbadia plans to do what?" he growled, clenching his teeth and his fists.

"Dig up the final resting place of the sorceress Rinoa Heartilly." She replied, truing her back to him. Fear ran through her body, a fear that threatened his knowledge and her deadly secret.

"Damn heathens!" he grumbled, the anger finally taking over the rest of his senses. "She's dead! Why can't anyone just leave her alone?" he wasn't talking to her, and she knew it. He had gone off on his own, ranting at this news, almost completely forgetting the fact that she was even there.

The Captain turned around to face him and watch his actions. Her heart nearly pulled at its strings as she watched him. He still cared! She found it difficult to hide the excitement. "So, will you help?" Her voice was nothing above a whisper, but he still heard her soft, yet dangerous voice.

He looked at her, once again remembering that she was still there. Her face was almost eager, awaiting an answer from him. It was then that his suspicions returned. "I don't know." He answered. "I need time to think."

She hid her surprise and only nodded. "Fine," she moved to the doorway. "Think on it, but we don't have much time before Galbadia acts." She slipped out into the dark corridor, leaving the door wide open. He could come out if he pleased, but he didn't know the exit out of the base. He was still a prisoner.

She walked down the corridor, angry and disappointed. Her heavy boots echoed against the close walls with every step she took. She walked out to the main corridor, her anger building.

"You know, telling him the truth would have been so much easier." Mika's voice was heard from behind her.

Without turning around, the Captain just kept walking. "Shut up, Mika."

* * *

A/N: I really liked the end of this chapter just because of the way the Captain talks to Mika. It's like one of those "Told you so!" things and the Captain's being a sore loser about it. This whole chapter was different in how I developed it and put it to words. It was completely different than what I had in my head and I'm not sure if that's such a bad thing. Lol. When I was typing this up, I was going by what I had in notebook, and I noticed all the things I had written in the margins. I had literary terms written in at certain points and I found that amusing because I'm the only one that I can think of who does that! Just something I thought I should share.

Now, to go on to the chapter itself. What did you guys think? I rather liked it, but I guess I'm supposed to. No, I suppose that's not always right because I HATE The Last Reality. Anyway –Katelyn, stay on task- sorry my mind is fleeting today. I realize that some of you hate the Captain with a burning passion, and don't worry, she'll get what she deserves. Well, I'd better go, I have another chapter to type up, and I still have to prepare the first chapter of Life Less Ordinary's sequel, so R&R and Later Days!


	11. Searching

Ah! I'm back! Did you miss me? Heh, heh. Well, sad to say that I'm not here for long. My big AP exam is next week and I have to prepare for it, so yeah. But I'll post this one for you really quick and give it to you so you have something to entertain yourself. I'm also, hopefully posting two new stories, too. That is, if I can get my ducks in a row. Less than 20 days until I'm a SENIOR! AHH!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. I've been on this site and I still do not own it. I still however, am devising a brilliant plan to conquer the world.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter Ten _

_"Searching" _

Selphie hadn't been able to sleep all night and by the time the sun rose, she was still wide-awake. Thoughts of the fingerprint haunted her, and she felt that it was wrong to keep this news from Squall. He had a right to know about this, and maybe he would have a good explanation for this strange phenomenon. She waited until that evening after dinner to approach his office. He hadn't been seen all day, but that didn't surprise her. He'd been hard at work for the past few days, locking himself up in his office and refusing all visitors. She knew he was working hard, and she only hoped he was still around somewhere and wasn't too exhausted to listen to her. She knew Quistis had told her not to say anything, not to burden him with another problem, but she felt so strongly that he needed to know. It involved him more than anyone else, and he had a right to know.

She approached the third floor to find it very deserted. Quistis had been busy with her lessons all day, and Xu was nowhere to be found. Selphie suspected that she was off doing something that she probably wasn't supposed to in the secret area. Selphie smiled at the though and walked to Squall's dark office. There wasn't any movement inside, and Selphie feared he wasn't there. She knocked anyway, and the door moved open from the force of her hand. She found this odd and proceeded inside, the feeling of dread overcoming her.

"Squall?" she called into the room uneasily. She flipped the light on to find the office completely deserted with the window open. Papers were flung everywhere and the chairs in front of the desk were overturned. Panic now overtook her and she ran over to the desk, turning around in a full circle just to make sure he wasn't hiding. "Squall!" he wasn't here, and she had the feeling that something was wrong.

Within seconds, Selphie had bolted out of the office and was headed down to the second floor. She needed Quistis immediately. She skipped the elevator and took the stairs, jumping down tow at a time. She reached the second floor in record time and pushed the door open to Quistis' classroom.

The young blonde was in the middle of a lesson to almost eager students. Their attention, however, was diverted when Selphie pushed the door open and came screaming and yelling into the room.

"Quistis, Quistis, Quistis!" she exclaimed, out of breath.

"Selphie!" Quistis protested, sore for being interrupted. "What on earth are you doing?" she demanded, highly irritated.

"Quistis! I need you!" Selphie exclaimed. Some of the students snickered at this, and she turned around to hiss at them. "Not like that! This is a Garden emergency!"

"What on earth are you talking about?" she demanded again.

"Cancel class!" she exclaimed. "It's important!"

The students cheered at this and tried to get Quistis to do it, but her dirty look quickly silenced them, and they returned to sitting quietly like good students.

"Is it so important that I need to cancel my class when they have an exam the next week?" Quistis demanded. The students all looked up in protest and shock. Quistis turned to them and replied angrily, "I told you about this weeks ago! Don't give me that!"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Quistis sighed and closed her book. "Where is Xu? Can she help?"

"I don't know. I can't find her!" Selphie was clutching the hem of her yellow customary dress tightly in her hands. She was slightly bent over, looking up at Quistis is almost hysteria.

"And what about Squall?" It was obvious that Quistis didn't want to cancel her class just yet.

Selphie's face reddened and she moved her back to the class. "That's the problem!" she hissed, unheard by the curious students. "He's gone!"

The color drained from Quistis' face almost instantly as the words left Selphie's lips. "He's gone?"

"Yes!" she whispered harshly.

"Are you sure?" Quistis asked, shaking.

"Yes!"

Quistis then turned to face her students. She wore a face of stone that revealed nothing to them. "Class, you are dismissed for the remainder of the period. Cheers erupted but she did nothing to calm them, instead, she turned to Selphie. "When did you notice that he was gone?" she asked.

"Up in his office!" The energetic girl turned on her heel and disappeared out the door. "Hurry!" she could be heard from the corridor, and Quistis ran after her.

"Wait up!" she followed her back up the stairs and down to Squall's office.

Selphie was waiting for her outside the room, too afraid to enter alone. Quistis approached her and peered inside. What she saw shocked her. "What happened here?"

"I don't know, but I know for a fact that Squall wouldn't leave his office like this purposely." Selphie replied. Quistis was the first to step into the office, and she closely looked over the room. She picked the pages off the floor and inspected them. "The wind did this." She observed, staring at the open window. It was then that she noticed the paper flapping on the desk, held down by an overturned pencil holder. "What's this?" she asked, walking over to it. She lifted it up, and Selphie heard her take a sharp intake of breath.

"What is it, Quistis?" she asked, nervously. She was back to tugging at her skirt.

"It's instructions." She whispered, looking up at Selphie with fearful eyes.

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"Okay, so you're telling me that Squall has disappeared off the face of the planet and left instructions for us?" Zell asked as he, Xu, Selphie, and Quistis all sat in Squall's office. Alexis had been missing for some time now as well.

"It would appear that way," Quistis replied, holding the letter in her hand.

"But why would he just up and leave?" Xu asked. She, Zell, and Selphie had done a thorough search of the Garden but to no avail. Squall was truly gone.

"That's where I disagree," Quistis interjected. "I don't think he left on his own accord." She held up the letter so that they could all see it. "Look at the signature at the bottom." She pointed to it. "It was interrupted. He didn't get to finish it."

"So?" Zell asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It means," Xu began, understanding Quistis' point. "That Squall was probably abducted."

"Maybe he wants us to think that way?" Zell suggested.

"NO, I don't think so," Quistis shook her head. "He's not that kind of person. He doesn't go so far as to fake his own abduction." She spoke with almost resentment at that idea.

"Then how did he know to write instructions?" Zell countered. He didn't believe a word of this because he didn't want to believe that the all mighty Squall could have been abducted.

Quistis sighed and laid the letter on her lap. "I have a theory for that." She replied, staring down at the black ink that started neat but transformed down the paper into a mangled heap. "You remember Rinoa?"

"How could anyone forget her?" Xu asked. Selphie and Zell both nodded but remained silent.

"Well, I remember how she could always sense approaching danger. She always knew when something bad was going to happen." She spoke to them in almost a hesitant fashion. "So I believe that Squall somehow developed that from her."

"So, you're saying that Squall probably knew that something was going to happen and so he wrote instructions for us?" Zell asked, not believing what he was hearing.

Quistis nodded. "Yes, I think it's very rational. Nothing else fits."

"I agree," Xu whispered, fearful. "He wouldn't do that unless he had a good reason to."

"So, now what?" Selphie asked timidly.

"We've got to go find him!" Zell exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Duh!"

"Yes, but how do we find someone who left no trail?" Quistis asked him seriously.

"Uhhh," Zell dropped back into his seat and scratched his head.

"You have to know a little bit about the captors," Alexis said from the doorway. They all looked up in shock at the younger girl.

"Alexis!" Quistis exclaimed, not expecting to see her there.

"What do you mean?" Xu asked, ignoring her shock. There was something different about Alexis. She seemed much more sinister almost.

"You don't know who took him, do you?" she asked them. They shook their heads, and she smiled. "Well, you're in luck because I do."

"How?" Xu demanded.

Alexis ignored this question and continued on. "The people who took him are known as the Underground. They're the main force behind the Resistance."

"Why would they want Squall?" Quistis asked.

"That I don't know," Alexis shrugged. "But I do know where to find them, if you're interested."

Quistis stood and walked across the room to Alexis. "I don't know how you know all this or why, but right now we need to rescue Squall before Galbadia gets word that we're unprotected." She stared Alexis down with suspicious eyes. "Can you take us to him?"

"Yes," she answered, nodding.

"Good," Quistis then turned around to face the rest of her comrades. "Xu, I leave you in charge. Make sure that no one knows that Squall is missing or that we have gone to find him. Call Laguna, though. He must now, but keep everyone else out. Understood?" Xu nodded and saluted Quistis. "Guys, get ready. We leave immediately."

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"I have exciting news, father," Cabait whispered. He was bent down on one knee in front of his father's throne. An evil smirk covered his sinister face.

"And what might that be, my son?" Dictator Deling questioned, amused.

"The Commander has been abducted by the forces of the Underground, leaving Garden defenseless." Cabait answered, keeping his eyes trained on the floor. He held a great deal of respect for his father, for now.

"Hmm," Dictator Deling rose from his throne and descended down to his son's level. "And what would the Underground want with our dear Commander?"

Cabait looked up, "What does that matter, father? Garden is defenseless! We can take them out now!"

"I will handle those arrangements, my son. You will remain out if it. I still have far greater plans for you." He touched the crown of his son's head and then gracefully passed him.

"Father, you cannot leave me out of this!" He jumped to his feet. "I have a right to join the attack!"

Dictator Deling turned around to face his temperamental son. "You have no such privilege!" He growled dangerously. "You do what I tell you, when I tell you! You are my son, but you are also my servant! You pledged your life to me!" He glared back at his son who only stared back, hiding his shock and fear that his own father had lashed out at him. Was he showing his true colors?

"Fine," he mumbled, looking away in shame.

"You are dismissed," Dictator Deling hissed at his son, pointing to the door. Cabait said nothing but followed his father's orders and walked out the door. He slammed it behind him and stormed to his quarters, glaring at any who crossed his path.

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They were geared up for battle and were preparing to leave on their journey when Xu found them. She came into the area, wringing her hands nervously.

"What is it, Xu?" Quistis asked as she stuck her whip in the belt where it usually sat.

"I called Galbadia Garden, but Irvine's not there. He left last night." She replied, worried.

"Why?" Selphie asked. This shocked her.

"I don't know," Xu shrugged. "The Headmaster said that he got a call from someone, got his gun and supplies, and then headed out. He didn't even tell anyone where he was going. He just left!"

"Hmm, that doesn't sound like Irvine at all." Quistis said thoughtfully.

"No, it doesn't," Selphie agreed.

"You don't think he knows what's going on, do you?" Zell asked the other three.

"Hoe could, but I don't think so," Quistis said. "I think there's something else going on, but we can't worry about it right now."

"What do you want me to do?" Xu asked.

"Just hold down the fort for us. We'll be back as soon as we can." She, Selphie, and Zell then headed out the front gate.

Alexis was waiting out for them, standing nearby just watching the water and thinking. She would expose herself today, but it wasn't her secret that she cared about. She was much more concerned with whom she deemed as the enemy here. She'd had plenty of time to think about this, and she was ready to face whatever this fake Captain could throw at her. She wanted to tell Squall about this fake person, but she never got the chance. Brick and Mika interfered.

She thought about Squall then. What was the purpose of abducting him? She was sure that the reasoning had gone well beyond just plain help for the Resistance. She was positive that it was personal. Maybe the Captain was on to her game? If not, Alexis was on to the Captain's. She had cracked the code. The Captain was a fake, and she would expose her, bringing out Squall's hatred. She would make the Captain pay, and she would use the one weapon that she knew would work effectively to her own usage: Squall's feelings.

"We're ready when you are, Alexis," Quistis called to her from the road. Alexis was in the field with her back to her companion.

Selphie and Zell had already boarded the Ragnarok, but Quistis was waiting for Alexis. She wanted to keep a close eye on the girl now. She had revealed much more of herself now. It was as if there was a side of Alexis that she kept hidden from the rest of them that was coming out. How many more secrets was Alexis hiding from them?

"I'm ready," she whispered, pulling her eyes away from the hypnotic blue waters and turning to face Quistis. "Let's go."

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"What are you doing?" Mika asked Brick as she entered the System Control Room. Brick was sitting in front of the screens that closely watched the outside world.

"Don't you think that they're going to try to come after him?" He asked.

"After who?" Mika asked him as she took a seat beside him.

"The Commander," he answered.

"Probably, but I doubt if they'll know where to look." She replied, casually. "They'll never know where to look."

"I don't think so," he said with doubt. "Don't forget about our little informant." He warned.

This made Mika laugh. "What? That little worm?" she threw her head back, emphasizing her amusement. "She wouldn't even dare to betray us. We only barely allowed her to be a part of this organization. She already knows that she's treading on thin ice. I'd love to see her even try to betray us."

Brick frowned. "All the same," he said. "I don't trust her."

"I'm pretty sure she's harmless," Mika reassured him. He said nothing so Mika stood and patted him gently on the back. "Don't worry. Everything's in our favor, and there's no one out there who can change that. We'll win this war." He nodded and watched as Mika exited the room, leaving him alone once again with his doubts and worries.

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Squall still sat in his prison, watching his hand. She had burned him right through his leather protection. It had to have been magic, nothing else fits the description, but if that had been magic, then that means she was a sorceress.

"A sorceress without a knight," he whispered. His suspicions about her only seemed to grow, and he trusted her less and less. She couldn't be telling him the truth, and he would figure out her game. He wasn't as dumb as she thought him to be, and he would discover what she was trying so hard to hide from him. He knew it involved him or he wouldn't even be here.

He could feel the anger threatening to topple over him. She looked so familiar, and he knew he should recognize her, should know her, but he didn't. She was nothing more than a fleeting memory to him that he could not retrieve, and he was sure that once he understood, he would know…and hate. She couldn't hide the truth from him forever. He would figure it out, and then she would be at his mercy.

"Just wait, _Nira_." He mumbled, staring at his wounded hand. "Just wait."

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"Alright, where do we need to go?" Quistis asked Alexis sternly. She'd lost almost all respect for Alexis by this point, feeling that the girl had lied to all of them for that the girl had lied to all of them for the past five years. The look of hatred in her eyes now felt only natural.

"The Underground base is located in Centra, but you can't just land there and walk in," she replied, avoiding Quistis' harsh gaze. She knew that they would no longer trust her after this, but she didn't care. As long as she got them to the base, they didn't matter. Her target was not them.

"And why not?" Quistis demanded angrily. She would not even try to hide her disappointment and anger. No, she would let it show. She would make Alexis pay for her treachery.

"Because the Captain is smarter than that," Retorted Alexis angrily. She glanced at Quistis only briefly before returning her gaze to the passing world outside the Ragnarok. Selphie sat in the driver's eat and Zell sat next to her. Neither of them said anything.

"How so?" Quistis asked, integrating her former companion.

"She has eyes all over the area. The only way to take her by surprise is to sneak up on her by foot." She then addressed the driver. "Selphie, land us by Edea's orphanage but avoid flying over the main interior of the area. If she sees the Ragnarok, she'll know we're coming."

"Ok," Selphie whispered. She felt the pain of disappointment the most. She had befriended Alexis, only to realize that she wasn't at all whom she made herself to be.

"Do you really think this will work?" Quistis asked, resentment growing.

Alexis turned to her and asked softly. "Do you want to save him or not?" she returned the glare that Quistis kept giving her.

"Of course!" she exclaimed.

"Then trust me," Alexis snapped almost bitterly.

"I did trust you," Quistis replied frowning and crossing her arms over her chest.

Alexis said nothing but looked out the window again. _Just wait_. She thought to herself. _Just wait until you learn the truth. Then you will really feel the pain of disappointment. You will no longer consider me the enemy. _A wicked smile appeared on her face as she just watched the outside world as it fleeted past them.

Quistis saw the demented smile that now resided on Alexis' face, and she turned away to hide her pain. Alexis had all but betrayed them. They had put their trust in her and welcomed her into their hearts, and she had played them. For five years they had lived with her, believing everything that she told them. So what else had she lied about?

"We're coming up on the orphanage," Selphie announced to the others.

"Land nearby, and we'll head to the mountains on foot." Alexis commanded. She no longer seemed so sweet and innocent, but a dark aura now surrounded her. She was much more serious than they'd ever seen her before, and her eyes no longer sparkled with that happy-go-lucky glow. Her mask was gone, and they now saw the real Alexis, if that was even her name.

Selphie obeyed and minutes later they were all headed to the mountains in the distance.

"Are you kidding me?!" Zell exclaimed after a few moments of silence. "Do we have to walk that far?!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby, Zell," Selphie muttered miserably as they walked on, weapons drawn. All happy moods were now shot because of Alexis. Selphie would've preferred it so much more if she didn't know. As wrong as it seemed, she wanted to remain in the false sense of security , knowing only about the Alexis she had befriended for the past five years. She would have been happy with that.

"I am not a baby!" Zell protested stubbornly. "I just don't like walking." He scowled and kicked at a rock that sprung up and just barely grazed part Alexis' right ear as she scouted a few feet ahead. She turned around and stared at Zell who blushed.

"Ugh, just suck it up and shut it." Quistis snapped bitterly. She glared at Alexis' back, thinking of ho w she could make her life miserable when they returned to Garden. Is she could, she would try to have her court-martialed, but she would have to run it past Squall, first, and since she was helping to rescue him from this stupid Underground, he might not be so willing to persecute Alexis, even though she lied to him, too.

Zell did as he was told and effectively kept his mouth shut. He noticed the tension, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause more problems amongst the group. He was the only one who wasn't directing any kind of hostility towards Alexis. Yes, she kept some things from them, but he couldn't expect her to be totally honest with them about everything. Maybe there were some things in her past that were painful for her, and that was the reason enough for her to remain reserved on her past. And since it was apparent that no harm had initially been done, he didn't think they should be making such a big deal about it.

"Why are we going to the mountains?" Quistis demanded, thinking that Alexis was up to no good. "I see nothing that resembles a base."

"It's in the mountains," Alexis replied never turning around to face Quistis. She just kept walking, kept heading on to the goal, her hatred being her driving force. "That's how they've stayed hidden for so long from Galbadia."

"Smart group," Zell muttered, but Quistis only rolled her eyes. She wanted as little to do with this group as possible. She just wanted to get Squall and get out, but somehow she feared it wasn't going to be that simple. These people had abducted Squall for a reason, and they would probably want to keep him as long as they needed him.

"We're almost there," Alexis said once the base of the mountains came into view. She stopped a few yards ahead of them and looked around.

"What?" Quistis asked, snapping. She and the others stopped around Alexis.

"The cave," she replied, ignoring the hostility and pointing ahead of them to a very dark opening surrounded by the beginnings of a forest.

"Don't tell me we have to go in there!" Zell exclaimed, voice growing slightly higher with terror.

"Yes," Alexis said and walked towards it. The others followed including Zell who had slumped over at the realization that, indeed, they had to go into the dark and scary cave.

It was dark, yes, and they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces, but other than that _minor_ detail, it was all right.

"Well, gee, this isn't so bad!" Zell said brightly.

Just as the words left his mouth, he tripped on a rock, falling into Selphie, Quistis, and Alexis. The rock, however, triggered a trap door and they plummeted down a deep hole, bumping and sliding down against the walls of the trap and each other, screaming and yelling until they landed in a large heap at the bottom. They landed, not on ground, but moss and they found themselves in a secret passage, lined with troches on the walls. Past the soft bed of moss was a stone floor.

"For the record," Selphie grumbled as she thrust Zell off her. "I blame you."

"Ugh!" he said, getting to his feet. "How the heck was I supposed to know that there was a trap up there?" He demanded, turning to her in his own defense.

"Uh!" Selphie exclaimed, throwing her hands up into the air. "Don't you ever watch Scooby Doo? There are always booby traps in dark, scary, spooky places, and I do believe that this place fits that exact description!" She yelled, hysteric.

"I'm too old for Scooby Doo!" Zell yelled back at her, annoyed.

"Ah! But that tells me you have watched Scooby Doo, so you should have known to watch for traps, you ninny!" She slapped his arm.

"Ow, ow, ow!" He whined. "Don't hurt me! It's not my fault you're a crazy psycho chick who watches too much T.V.!" He rubbed his sore arm.

"Oh, come on! Even Nancy Drew could've figured this one out!" She hit him again.

"Like I read Nancy Drew!" Zell barked. "And stop hitting me!" He put up his fits in hopes of warding off another attack.

"Oh, don't even go there, feminine boy! I found a Nancy Drew book in your room!" she countered.

Zell's face flushed immediately. "What were you doing in my room? I mean.." He deepened his voice and tried to regain his manliness. "It certainly couldn't have been mine."

"Well, it couldn't have been the library's because it had your name on it!" she screamed.

Quistis rolled her eyes at the two as they continued their stupid fight and instead she focused on Alexis. "Yes, Alexis," Quistis snapped as she brushed herself off. "Knowing about that trap certainly would have been nice to know." But Alexis didn't answer or even acknowledge that Quistis had spoken. She was staring off into the darkness of the new level of the cave. "Now what?"

Selphie and Zell halted their quarrel for another time and approached Quistis and Alexis.

"Alexis?" Selphie asked timidly. "What's wrong?"

But still, the girl never answered, and she didn't get the chance to for suddenly the four of them were surrounded by six swords.

"Well, well, well," A voice said through the darkness. "If it isn't Chicken Wuss and company come to save the Puberty-Boy Commander. If this doesn't make my day, then I don't know what will." A figure moved out through the shadows, and they were shocked by what they saw.

* * *

A/N: Ahhh! We all know who that is…or do we? Wanna know something? I liked this chapter for one reason: the Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew thing. That was the probably the most random thing I have ever written and it was great! Well, enough from me! Later Days! 


	12. Into the Fire

Hey hey hey! I'm back again, and I just know you guys missed me! What? You _didn't_? Uh! Fine, be that way. Gets up and walks out the door.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Final Fantasy VIII.

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter 11 _

_"Into the Fire"_

Quistis' jaw nearly hit the floor as she saw the scene before her. "Seifer?" she exclaimed through her surprise. It had to be him. He had the scar, he hair, the facial features, and even that damned old trench coat that looked as if it would fall off him in piece any second.

"In the flesh," he smirked, cockily. He still help up his sword, pointing it threateningly at Zell, just like old times. "What's new, Chicken Wuss?"

The female warrior who stood next to him turned en shock. "You know these three?" she demanded, ignoring Alexis for now.

"Unfortunately," he replied, distastefully. "It's not part of my glory days."

She scoffed at this and walked forward to Alexis. "Well, hello, _Lexy_." She sneered. Their faces were inches apart. "Long time, no see."

"Indeed," Alexis answered hatefully. She held her weapon tightly, knuckles whitening. "Mika."

"I'm sure the Captain will be certainly thrilled to see you again," Mika growled. She grabbed Alexis by the shoulder and forced her forward, jerking her. Alexis didn't even fight back but accepted the actions. A tall, dark man grabbed Alexis on the shoulder and forced her down into the darkness, disappearing further into the cave.

They watched her until she was completely gone, and then the warrior named Mika and Seifer turned to face Selphie, Quistis, and Zell.

"I'm sure you're just itching to see your Commander," Mika said, her voice softening slightly now that she was no longer in the presence of the traitor.

"is he all right?" Quistis demanded, stepping forward bravely.

Mika nodded, "he is fine. We haven't hurt him."

"Much," Seifer added with his trademark bloodthirsty smile.

Mika glared at her companion distastefully. "Ignore him. He's only joking." She turned to the three others. "He has been well taken care of."

"Why'd you kidnap him?" Selphie exclaimed, speaking up for the first time. She'd finally gotten over her initial shock of seeing Seifer again.

"We needed his help," Mika answered. She motioned for the two individuals who still stood behind Selphie and Zell.

A young girl stepped up and gently took Selphie's arm. "Come, you probably want to clean yourself up." She smiled brightly, and Selphie immediately took a liking to her.

She looked down at herself and noticed that she was covered with dir from the fall. "Yeah," she blushed.

"We have been instructed to treat you three with the greatest of hospitality," Mika said almost kindly. "So if you would please follow us, we can take you somewhere much more suitable."

"Who told you to do this?" Quistis demanded, not quite trusting this odd group.

"Our Captain," Mika replied. "But she will show herself later." Mika turned her back to them and proceeded down into the darkness. "Please come."

The three just stood there, not moving and unsure of what to do.

"Please," the girl said who still held Selphie's arm. She inched her forward. "We need to get moving."

Selphie only nodded and moved forward, following their directions. Zell followed, too, walking with the other guy. Only Quistis and Seifer remained, staring at each other. Her gaze filled with hatred and disgust, his if amusement.

"Come on, Instructor Trepe," he smiled wickedly and motioned for her to proceed.

She took a step forward until she was closer to him. "Let me say his now, Seifer Almasy." She spoke to him threatening. "I do not know what type of game you people are playing, but I'm on to you, and I don't trust you. I am a SeeD, and you will very soon feel my wrath if you think that I am stupid. You may have the others fooled, but I am not so easily strayed."

Seifer continued to smile, "Whatever you say, my lady." He bowed very sarcastically to her. "Please, grace us with thine presence."

She rolled her eyes and proceeded down with him directly behind her. _There's no point in trying to teach and old dog new tricks._

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"I do not think that I agree with this," the young man in the military uniform said nervously.

"I do not care if you agree or not, but if I recall correctly, you owe me for sparing your life." Cabait replied bitterly. The two gentlemen had met in a deserted room in the old section of the Presidential palace in Deling City.

"Yes, sir," the man said with remorse.

"Now," Cabait commanded firmly. "Do exactly as I say." The young man nodded. "Tell your commander that his battalion should move to the shores of Dollet."

"W-w-why?" he asked, fearful.

"We are preparing on a full-frontal attack on Balamb garden." Cabait answered laughing evilly. "They are completely unarmed and completely vulnerable."

He bowed. "Yes, sir."

"Now go, and take this with you," he produced a letter that bore the official seal of the House of Deling.

"yes, sir." He bowed again and scurried out of he room.

Cabait turned and put his back to the fleeting man. "father, you will not keep me out of this war, even though you are determined to do so. You will abuse me no longer. My respect for you has faded, and I am ready to rise above you once and for all. I will have what I deserve and I will get my revenge." He smiled, enjoying himself.

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"Please, take us to Squall," Quistis requested of Mika after they had been given the opportunity to clean up.

"If you wish," Mika answered. She led them down to the area where he had been held. Quistis had expected to see Squall in a dirty prison cell with no food, no water, and no adequate hygiene. She expected him to be half tortured with wells all over his body and chained to a wall. But when they approached his room, they found him sitting on a bed, reading something with a plate of food resting on a table across the room. It was hot and steamed.

"Squall!" Selphie exclaimed and ran over to him. He didn't know what hit him as Selphie lunged at his rising form. She held him tightly while jumping up and down, tears coming to her eyes. "We were so worried about you! Are you all right? These people are going to pay! Oh, Squall!"

Squall stared down at Selphie in shock. He looked at the others and shrugged before turning back to Selphie. "I'm fine," he said, attempting to pry Selphie off him. "They haven't hurt me. Relax." He struggled to get her off because the more he tried to get her off, the tighter she held him. He finally managed to release himself from Selphie's death grip.

"Are you all right?" Quistis asked as she approached him. They shook hands, and then she hugged him lightly.

"I'm fine," he said. "Like I said, they didn't harm me. In fact, they've been treating me with hospitality."

"That's good," she patted his shoulder.

"Now that we've found him, can we leave?" Zell asked, shuddering. "This places gives me the heebie geebies."

"No," Squall replied. "You can if you want, but I have unfinished business here. You are more than welcome to leave, but I must stay."

Quistis frowned. "We can't leave you here alone, and we need to get back to Garden before chaos breaks out." She didn't wan to stay either. These people were trouble and couldn't be trusted.

"Quistis," he began darkly. "I must stay. I cannot leave until I have figured this out."

"Figured what out?" Selphie asked curiously from his side.

"The Captain, Nira," he answered. "But you'll understand that out soon enough."

"Squall, we cannot say here!" Quistis exclaimed. "It's only a matter of time before our enemies realize that Garden is unprotected."

"Is Xu in charge?" Squall asked.

"Yes," Quistis answered.

"Are the rest of the teams stationed nearby?" he asked.

"Yes," Quistis nodded.

"Is Laguna a phone call away?"

"Yes, of course," Quistis didn't understand what he was getting at.

"Then Garden is not completely unprotected." He replied, thereby ending the discussion. "Remaining here a few more days will not hurt anything."

"Fine," she rolled her eyes. "I don't see the point but whatever."

"You will very soon," Squall said as his eyes went from the folder in his hands to the door.

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"I have taken them to the Commander," Mika announced to the Captain as she entered the System Control Room. The Captain sat at the monitors and watched them carefully. She had seen the party coming and knew what would happen.

"All right," she answered.

"They were truly worried about him," Mika said nervously as she took a seat beside the Captain.

"I know," the Captain said sadly.

"Did you know them?" Mika asked after the silence had settled in, uneasy.

The Captain looked away so Mika couldn't see her face. "Yes,"

"Are you going to go see them?" she asked.

"I don't know," the Captain shrugged. "I don't think I can. It's been so long, and I don't think I could handle seeing them. The guilt has just been so bad."

"You know," Mika began, not letting this opportunity go. "I'm not sure, but I think telling the truth might actually help. Maybe then you won't fell so guilty?"

"And you know," the Captain retaliated, turning to face Mika. "I believe I told you earlier to shut up. Maybe that's a hint for you?"

"Hey! There's not need to get hostile with me! I'm only trying to help!" Mika exclaimed.

"I know!" the Captain exclaimed, yelling. Then she lowered her voice. "I know. I'm just a little jumpy."

Mika held out her hand, gazing at it while her eyes blinked just about fifty times a minute and she wore a goofy smile. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

The Captain caught the sarcasm and rolled her eyes. "All right, now. None of that." She stood and walked across the room to the door, but stopped in the center.

"What?" Mika asked.

"I'm nervous," she whispered, turning around to face Mika, displaying her fear. Mika had never seen her like this before. "Should I go see them?"

"Well, do you want to?" Mika asked, getting up to join her.

"Yes!" The Captain said, jumping slightly. "I mean, of course I do! These people are- were my friends." Her voice saddened slightly as she spoke.

"Were?' Mika asked curiously.

"I'm dead, Mika. They don't know that I'm still here, so naturally I don't think we're friends anymore, especially if they find out." She said with hints of sadness and agitation.

"Okay, do I have to say it AGAIN?" Mika exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Tell them the truth!"

"Mika," the Captain snapped bitterly, silencing her companion. "We've been through this. I can't tell him the truth, and I can't tell them the truth! I can't tell anyone the bloody truth! All right? It just can't be done!"

"And that's only because you haven't tried!" Mika exclaimed in return. "I'm sure if you actually tried, then we wouldn't have this problem now would we?"

The Captain rolled her eyes. "You know, if I recall correctly, you haven't been a complete angel either." She said, a thin smile creeping up her face.

"What are you talking about?" Mika asked, not understanding at all what she was even remotely referring to. The Captain's eyebrows only raised and the smile grew. Mika then knew what she was talking about. Oh, no! No, no, no! You cannot throw that in my face!" Mika exclaimed face actually flushing. "That is just wrong on so many levels!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the Captain said, shaking her head, disappointed. "You left him at the alter? Oh, Mika!"

"Argh!" Mika yelled, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I had to! I had a duty to my country!"

"Ah, a country which you betrayed," the Captain added. "Strike two."

"You are evil!" Mika muttered, arms over her chest, pouting. "And like you have any room to talk!"

"I do, actually." The Captain said, still smiling. "I committed myself to freeing the people of Galbadia. My enemy has always been the corrupted government. I never worked for the government."

"All right! ALL RIGHT!" Mika yelled over the Captain's well-put argument. "I'll drop it! It's done! It's done."

"Good," the Captain turned and headed again to the door. "That just goes to prove you can't beat me." She disappeared out the door.

"That's only because you cheat!" Mika yelled after her. "But remember: the higher the pedestal, the harder the fall! Remember that, Angel!"

The Captain chose not to hear Mika and instead, she traveled down to the area where Squall was being kept, knowing that her other friends were most likely there as well. It would be a strange reunion for she was certain that they wouldn't even recognize her but she knew it was for the best. She couldn't let her emotions get in the way if she wanted to save her country.

She was raveling down the corridor when she was suddenly grabbed and pulled into another room. Looking around, startled, she saw that her "companion" was Alexis.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded, enraged.

"What am I doing?" Alexis growled. "I think I should be asking you that, _Rinoa._"

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"So, do you even know why these crazy people kidnapped you?" Quistis asked Squall. They all still remained in his "cell."

"Not really," he answered, shaking his head. "Nira did explain to me that she needs my help for a mission, but I get the feeling that can't be the whole thing. She's hiding something."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Absolutely," he nodded. There has to be a reasonable explanation that she's not revealing. I intend on finding out what it is. Something doesn't add up."

"Are you sure you're just not paranoid?" Selphie asked, joining in the conversation.

"No," Squall answered. "Paranoia has nothing to do with it."

"Then how do you know?" he asked.

"Because of this," he held up the folder. "She was the one who broken in and stole it."

"Oh, my gosh!" Selphie gasped, locking eyes on the item.

Squall nodded. "I know, but I can't figure out why she stole it. It doesn't make sense. Given the information she said, this folder has absolutely nothing to do with the mission. It's the only thing that's out of place."

"Well, have you tried asking her about it?" Quistis asked, taking it from him and leafing through it.

"Every time I even hinted at it, she would change he subject or flip my words around." He replied, annoyed.

"Well, flip your words around and trick her!" Zell exclaimed. Squall and Selphie looked at him in shock.

"That's actually a good idea." Selphie said, amazed.

"Hey!" Quistis exclaimed.

"What?" Squall and Selphie both asked turning their attention to her.

"Something's missing!" she was almost in panic mode.

"What?" Selphie asked.

"Her bio!" Quistis exclaimed. "It's gone! That had her fingerprint and her power estimate!"

"Power estimate?' Zell asked. "What's that?"

"It's a tentative measure of her power. Because she was young when she received her powers, she was still growing so they would continue to grow stronger. We couldn't put an exact power range on her because of that."

"Why is that so important?" Zell asked, confused. "Rinoa's dead."

"It can still be used for the wrong purposes because her blood is still out there. Magic particles are contained in blood." She answered.

"What about bones?" Squall asked curiously.

Quistis shook her head. "I don't know. We were hoping to figure that out but we never got the chance."

"Do you think they took it?" Selphie asked.

"It's possible, but what would they want with a simple bio?" Quistis asked Squall.

"I think I know," Squall said, feeling the pain of hurt returning.

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"Excuse me?" The Captain demanded, struglling to hold her composure.

"You heard me, _Rinoa_." Alexis growled. "That's right. I'm on to your game. I've figured it out."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," The Captain said uneasily.

"That's right," Alexis took a step closer to the Captain. "Lie a little bit more. Oh, I'm sure you're used to that by now. Since you have been lying for five years now."

"Shut up," the Captain muttered. She was beginning to shake now.

"Tell me," Alexis began to walk around the Captain, intimidating her. "How does it feel when you lie? Is it exhilarating for you? Do you feel good about it?"

"Stand down, Alexis!" she hissed.

"No, I have a better idea," Alexis smiled as she continued to walk around her. "How does it feel when you lie to him?" Her voice was growing louder. "How does it feel to know that you have made his life miserable?"

"Shut up!" The Captain exclaimed, still trying to control herself.

"You've hurt him!" she was yelling now. "You've lied to him, led him to believe that you're dead all because of a little _hopeless_ cause! Don't you realize what you've done? After he swore and risked his life to protect you, and this is how you repay him? You should be dead."

The Captain fought the tears that threatened her. Tears would only show Alexis that she had won, and she most certainly couldn't let Alexis win. "It's not like that. I had a duty to my people."

"You also had a duty to him!" Alexis screamed. "When you look into his eyes, don't you see the pain? Don't you see his suffering? I do! I see what you've done to him. I see his broken heart, nearly shattered completely, and it's all because of you!"

"No!" she shook her head. "No!"

"Yes!" Alexis was getting even louder. "yes, it's all because of you! Admit it! You used him for your own selfish purposes! You held onto him, feeding off his love and affection only long enough to satisfy you, and then when you had tired of that game, you left him, broken and confused!" she shoved the Captain and she stumbled out the door into the corridor. Alexis followed.

"No! That's not right!" she screamed, distressed. "I loved him!"

"You don't lie to people you claim to love!" Alexis yelled back.

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Squall, Quistis, Selphie, and Zell were still discussing their dilemma when they heard something of a disturbance outside.

"What is that?" Quistis asked as the noise grew louder.

"I don't know," Squall shrugged.

"Maybe we should check it out?" Selphie suggested and darter out the room. The other three followed, and they came to find Alexis and the Captain in the corridor in the midst of an argument.

"I had to!" the Captain exclaimed, her face contorted into a painful, pleading expression. "I had no other choice!"

"No other choice?" Alexis demanded. "You lied to him for five years because of a petty worthless cause! You can't free those people! Galbadia's hold is too strong! You've been wasting your time! You shouldn'y even be alive."

"I know, but I never menat to hurt him!" she exclaimed. Shhe was still fighting tears.

"But you did, and nothing you can do cab take back what you did! It's all your fault! You're the one to blame!"

"I know! I'm the bad guy! I am to blame" she cried out. "What more do you want from me?"

Alexis' face displayed a wicked, terrifying smile. "I want you to tell him!" she exclaimed, pointing to Squall who stood with the group behind the Captain. "ell him the truth! Let him know who you really are!"

The Captain followed her hand and turned to see him standing there with the rest of her old friends. They were all staring at her in confusion, not understanding the situation. Her hands became sweaty and shaky as she stared into his eyes. She saw the pain, the hurt, and the loathing that rested behind them. Alexis was right.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, but he only shook his head, not understanding at all.

"Tell him!" Alexis ordered. "Tell him about the lies and the deceit!"

"I can't," she whispered, never breaking eye contact with him.

"Tell him the truth! Tell him you're not who you claim to be! Tell him you use him, you abused him!" Alexis yelled. "Tel him hat your intentions had never been true! Tell him that he was just another chapter in your book of lies and corruption!"

"No!" she screamed. "That's not true!"

"Tell him that he wasted his time! Tell him that his protection was a wasted effort!" Alexis shoved her towards him until they stood mere feet apart. "Tell him about the monster you really are!"

"I'm not a monster!" she exclaimed and dropped her her knees, finally breaking.

Squall watched her, not sure of what to think of do.

"Yes, you are!" Alexis yelled. "Now tell him! Tell all of them! Make them understand what you did!"

She shook her head back and forth over and over again. "No! I can't!"

"Tell them! They've waited long enough!" Alexis commanded. "You owe them that."

"Alexis!" Quistis exclaimed, stepping forward finally. "Stop this!"

"NO!" The Captain scrambled to her feet, eyes red as tears streamed down her face. "She's right! I'm sorry I was never the person I told you I was! I'm sorry I lied! I'm sorry I hurt you! All of you!" she began to retreat backwards. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell you. I couldn't allow you to get in the way. I couldn't let you get hurt! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she cried out and then bolted, running the oppostire way, away from them.

Squall watched her flee, the disturbed look on her face still fresh in his mind, and he was slowly beginning to understand…

* * *

A/N: Heh, heh, heh. Well, what do ya think? I did this chapter with one person in mind: Gamer Legend. Yeah, buddy this was for you. You wanted her to suffer and feel bad and get what she deserved, so this is your chapter. Do you feel better now?

Lol. I make myself laugh. I really do because, as most of you have figured out already, my "secret" was that Rinoa was alive, but I still haven't explained her appearance yet, have I? Well, that's soon to come, but I have much more up my sleeve! Beware for I am full of surprises! R&R and Later Days!


	13. Betrayed

Well, after the drama of that last chapter, I don't think this one can even compete. Oh, wait! Yes it can! Mwuahahahahahahahahahahahahahahha! I love being evil. Well, sorry for the long wait. I've been a little distracted of late. Cough Joey cough. Ooh, sorry. I really should have that looked at. Heh, one of these days.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII

**_The Force That Divides Us_**

_Chapter Twelve _

_"Betrayed" _

"Alexis!" Quistis exclaimed. "What on earth has gotten into you?"

"I'm not the enemy here," Alexis replied hatefully as she turned and walked away. She'd almost had her. She had almost done it, but they had interfered.

"What's happened to her?" Quistis asked the others as they all watched Alexis leave them.

"I don't know, but it really sucks!" Selphie said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

Squall said nothing but followed the corridor with his eyes where the Captain disappeared. Why had she acted in that manner, like she had done something horribly wrong? The looked on her face before she fled would most likely haunt him for days to come until he solved this puzzling mystery. He feared for her, sensing the danger that fell around her. But he also didn't trust her or her intentions.

Quistis watched squall as that thoughtful look fell about his face. "Now do you think we should stay?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes," he replied. "Now I'm even more determined." He said nothing more but turned and returned to the room. Quistis sighed and followed. Zell and Selphie stood there and shrugged at each other. Zell then went to follow Quistis and Squall, but Selphie grabbed his arm.

"What?" he asked.

"Let's do a little snooping," she said with a wide grin.

"Are you kidding me?" he demanded, eyes wide, but Selphie's grin never wavered. "No, something tells me you're not."

"Well?" she persisted. "Are you in or out?"

Zell sighed, knowing that he would lose this battle. "I suppose."

"Oh! Goody!" she exclaimed and jerked him down the corridor with him, holding onto him like he was a limp doll.

"I know I'm just going to regret this," he said, sighing again as she whisked him away.

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Alexis marched to her quarters in the base, slamming the door behind her. She kept seeing the Captain's face, and she cursed them for interfering. She almost had her break. If only they had kept their mouths shut long enough for her to get what she wanted. She could've seen what she so badly wanted. She wanted to see Squall's face when he discovered the truth, and she wanted to see his anger and see the rejection that he would show the Captain. She was so close to witnessing that marvelous sight, but they got in the way.

_Damned meddling SeeDs_. She though bitterly. _I almost got what I wanted. I almost got him. He was almost mine._

She sighed as she figured she would have to wait just a little bit longer. She didn't want to, but it seemed the only way. The Captain would hide away now, waiting for this to all end before she would show her face again. _She is a damned coward_. She thought again with more hatred than before.

A sudden thought hit Alexis square in the face. What if he didn't react like she wanted him to? What if he was happy that she was still alive? Her eyes grew very large at this possibility, and she jumped off her bed to pace around the small room. What would she do then? They would perceive her as the enemy and raise that fraud on a pedestal to glorify.

And Squall! He would devote his attention to her again, reserving all love for _Rinoa_. He wouldn't even notice that she was there anymore. All her hard work of getting him to notice her and forget that worthless woman would be gone in an instant. She would no longer be whom he loved, but the one whom he forgot like a passing wind.

"NO!" she exclaimed out loud. She shook her head. "No! No! NO! I won't let that happen! I won't let her take him away from me! She abandoned him, left him to wallow in his hurt and pain! He's mine now! She gave him up, and I claimed him! I won't let her take him away from me!"

She checked her weapons and formulated a plan. She would get rid of that worthless Captain once and for all.

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"I don't suppose you know where you're going, do you?" Zell whispered to Selphie as they traveled down the darkened corridors.

"Nope!" she replied happily. "No idea!"

"You are so strange," Zell muttered, shaking his head. "So what's the point of this then?"

"I want to find Alexis," Selphie answered with determination.

"Why?" Zell asked, scared. After seeing that monster earlier, Zell didn't want much to do with Alexis anymore. She looked almost evil earlier.

"because something's gotten into her and I want to know what's going on. She's changed." Selphie answered as she peered around a corner. Upon seeing that the coast was clear, she jumped out and turned left, going down, still not looking where she was going.

"No kidding?" Zell said sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed."

Selphie whirled around momentarily to glare at him. "Enough of that, Zell! I'm being serious here! Something has changed with Alexis. She's not herself anymore."

"Uh, Selphie?" Zell asked, actually being serious. "Have you ever thought that maybe we never knew the real Alexis to begin with?"

"Nope. I'm not thinking about that," she said without much care.

"Well, don't you think you should?" he asked, not letting it die.

"Nope," she said again skipping forward.

"Selphie!" Zell hissed, following after her. But she suddenly sopped at another corner. "What?" he asked, but Selphie silenced him and pointed around the corner. Two people stood on the other side.

"Is she here?" A man in a long trench coat and cowboy hat asked. He had his back to them.

"Yeah, but we have a small problem," The other replied. It was Mika. She stood across from him with her hands on her hips, looking at him seriously.

"What?" the other asked. He lifted he hat to wipe his forehead.

"Oh my gosh!" Selphie whispered excitedly to Zell. "That's Irvine!"

"What's he doing here?" Zell wondered. Selphie shrugged and started forward, but Zell stopped her. "No, let's see what they have to say first."

"The Commander is here," Mika replied. She started to say something else, but Irvine interrupted.

"Whoa! Squall's here?" he asked, almost excited.

"Yes," Mika replied, rolling her eyes at his reaction. "We kind of abducted."

"Nice," he said with a grin, snorting. "That takes skill."

"No kidding," Mika mumbled, then continued. "Anyway, that's only part of the problem."

"Well, what's the rest of it?" he asked.

"His team came looking for him. They're here as well."

"What?" he exclaimed. "Selphie, Zell, and Quistis are here? Wow!" he let out a low whistle. "How's she handling that?"

"Not well, but that's still not all," Mika continued.

"What else is there?" Irvine demanded.

"Alexis is here, too."

"damn!" he exclaimed and turned around to think. Selphie and Zell ducked behind the corner. "I told you she was trouble!" He sounded almost angry.

"I know, but you haven't proved it yet. I don't trust her either, but what can we do?" Mika asked him seriously.

"We've got to keep an eye on her!" Irvine exclaimed. "We can't give her a chance to hurt her!"

"I have a bad feeling about this," Zell whispered to Selphie. She nodded but kept her eyes focused on Irvine and Mika.

"Alright," Mika nodded. "I'll have Amy watch her for us. But Irvine," she stopped him as he started to walk away. "This doesn't guarantee anything. 'Character is how you live your life when no one is watching.' Remember that."

"I know, but we have to try," Irvine said as he walked away. "We have to take the risk."

Mika nodded and watched him leave before disappearing her own way down another corridor. Neither of them had known that Selphie and Zell had overheard much of the conversation.

"So, Irvine is here, huh?" Zell asked once they had gone.

"It would appear that way, but what's he doing here?" Selphie wondered, walking around the corner to stand where the other two had moments before.

"I don't know," Zell shrugged. "But he did seem to know that Mika chick rather well."

"Oh, please," Selphie scoffed. "Any kind of chick, and Irvine knows her."

"That's not what I meant!" he hissed harshly! "I mean, he was talking with her about important stuff. He never hit on her. He was so…serious."

Selphie's eyes widened in shock. "hey! You're right! He was acting kind of strange, wasn't he?" she began pacing he corridor. "So, now what do we do?" she asked him.

"Well, if you want my professional opinion.." he started but Selphie cut him off with a wide grin.

"Zelly, there's nothing professional about you're opinion, and I only want a suggestion, Goober." She smiled still bit her voice held hints of sarcasm.

"I am not a peanut," he said rolling his eyes.

"That's not what the library girl told me!" she taunted.

The color drained from Zell's face, and his eyes went very, very wide. "W-what?"

Selphie fell into a fit of giggles. "I'm just kidding! I'm just kidding! Go on, please, go on."

"Anyway," he grumbled. "I think that we should most definitely avoid Alexis for a while."

"What?" Selphie asked in shock. "Why?"

"Because, did you notice how strange she acted?" he asked, demandingly. "It wasn't the Alexis that we knew! And they don't trust her either, so I think it would be in our best interest to stay away from her until this all blows over."

"No!" Selphie objected, irritated. "We need to go to Alexis! What if she does something to hurt herself?"

Zell rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, Selphie! She's not suicidal!" he exclaimed.

"You don't know that!" she shrieked.

"Exactly!" Zell exclaimed. "That's just it! We don't know much about Alexis anymore! Wha we thought we knew, we obviously don't! Don't you get it? She's not who she told us she was!"

"Are you saying that she lied to us?" Selphie asked quietly.

"yes," Zell said, matching her tone. "She isn't who we thought she was. That's obvious."

Selphie's face changed to one of distress and misery. "No," she moaned. "That's not fair!" she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I thought that she could be my friend just like Rinny had been." She dropped to her knees.

"Selphie," Zell said, kneeling down to her side. "I don't believe that you could ever find anyone who could ever take Rinoa's place."

"I know that," she muttered bitterly.

"No, listen to me," he wrapped his arm around Selphie almost lovingly. "Rinoa was one of a kind. We knew her. We knew everything about her. She was open with us, and she trusted us. We had a bond with her that we didn't have with Alexis. Alexis was nothing more than a replacement. We kept trying to make her someone else. She wasn't that person, and bow we're realizing this."

"That's horrible!" Selphie groaned.

"Aye, but it's true," Zell said with just a hint of sadness.

Selphie flung herself around into Zell's arms and cried on his shoulder. "We used her!" she sobbed. Zell was taken completely by surprise and patted her back gently.

"It wasn't intentional," he whispered.

"But we did," she moaned.

Around the corner, watching and listening, stood Alexis. She had overheard nearly the entire conversation and her face displayed the shock of it. Of course, she shouldn't have been surprised. She did, in some ways, resemble Rinoa, but that didn't matter. She was not Rinoa, and they should have understood that. She was her own person!

Anger filled her even more now, and she wanted her revenge on Rinoa. She wanted her to pay and suffer. She had successfully made everyone's lives completely miserable including her own. Why should she be able to live? Why should she enjoy the thrills of life when those around her are suffering? Alexis didn't think that was fair by any means.

Her hand found its way to the head of her sword. The thought of killing the treacherous Captain brutally with her blade crossed her mind yet again. Death would be the end to all their problems, but another thought crossed her mind. Death would be the easy way out. What the "Captain" needed was pure, undesirable torture, something to make her pay for al the trouble she's caused. Her smile returned, now even more evil than before. She liked that idea so much better, but what kind of torture would be suitable enough for her crimes? She was sure she could find something, but she wanted it to be perfect. The Captain couldn't be allowed any chance to escape. She had to remain in her torture, her slavery, for all eternity, never given the chance to redeem herself or survive. Alexis wanted blood spilt but not enough to kill her. No, she was convinced now that death would be much too easy. She glanced back at Selphie and Zell, still huddled together on the floor, and then darted down the hall soundlessly. The perfect form of torture suddenly appeared in her mind. Nothing could be better.

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"Selphie, please, stop crying," Zell pleaded quietly. "It's over and done with. We can't change it, and it's pointless to cry over it."

"So what do we do?" she asked, pulling away from him and wiping her eyes.

'Let it go, and focus on the problem here," he said with a smile. "We have a mystery on our hands, and while squall intends to stay here, we should too!"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "Let's do this, Nancy Drew!" she clapped her hands happily and darted down a corridor.

The smile faded from Zell's face. "Oh, come on Selphie!" he exclaimed and took off after her. "I do not read or own Nancy Drew!"

She had already disappeared by the time he went after her, and he almost began to panic. "Selphie!" he called. "This isn't funny!"

He found her after a few moments of frantic searching standing in a room filled with electrical equipment. It looked like a science lab back at the Garden. She was talking to some dude in a lab coat and black soot all over him. His short blonde hair stood up on end in all-different directions. It looked like he had stuck a paper clip in a light socket.

"Uh, hello," Zell said hesitantly.

"Hi!" the other guy said brightly. "The name's Cooper!" he stuck out his hand to Zell who took it, still staring strangely at this guy.

'I'm Zell," he pulled his hand back after the guy tried to shake it off.

"Zell, Cooper is so cool! He's the engineer of the Underground!" Selphie exclaimed though her excitement.

"Engineer?" Zell asked curiously.

"yeah, I'm in charge of the technical stuff. On the side, I like to create weapons." Cooper said proudly.

"Whoa! Like create from scratch?" Zell asked, wide-eyed.

"Sometime I do that, and sometimes I take apart existing models and remake them myself." He grinned. "it's a hobby."

"Some hobby,' Zell said, astonished. "Are you working on anything new?"

"As a matter of fact," he grinned again. "I am. The Captain asked me to take on my toughest challenge yet."

"And what's that?" Zell asked, full of curiosity now. He looked around the room as if expecting to see it in plain sight.

Zell's reaction made Cooper chuckle to himself. "Well, it's a new gunblade, bigger and better than the Lionheart." He said excitedly.

"Bigger?" Selphie asked.

"Better?" Zell added through his shock. "Is that even possible?"

"Well, I didn't think so at first, but gee! It is now!" he clapped his hands, emphasizing his enthusiasm. "Come here, I'll show you what I have so far. I'm not done yet. I still have some minor details to work out."

"Ooh! I'm so excited!" Selphie exclaimed and followed him to the back of the room. Zell followed him, too, realizing how much those two had in common. Hey were both just like little kids.

"Me, too!" Cooper agreed. He led them to the back to a countertop. In a concealed chamber was a large gunblade with black finishing but a red blade. On the handle was the carving of a feather that wrapped around it. Inscribed in the blade were words repeated over and over in beautiful writing: _never give up, never let die, never let go._

"Oh, wow!" Zell said, reaching out to touch it, but Cooper smacked his hand away.

"Don't touch it! It's synthesizing!" he exclaimed.

"Synthesizing?" Selphie asked. "What's that?"

"It means that it's still cooling. I added magic to it to make it stronger and it's still bonding, so to speak." Cooper answered, staring at his masterpiece with pride.

"You were able to add magic?" Zell asked, continuously amazed.

"Yup!" he said with a goofy grin.

"How?" Selphie asked.

"Well, I'm technically not supposed to say, but I like you guys, so I'm gonna tell ya!" Cooper replied. He looked over at the door before continuing. "It was actually the Captain's idea. She had me make this gunblade for Commander Leonhart, but she wanted to make sure hat no other human could use it but him. So she gave me a sample of his blood to put in the blade."

"Whoa!" Zell and Selphie both exclaimed.

"Can you do that?" Selphie asked.

"Apparently, you can," Cooper nodded. "But here's the greatest part: the Captain also added the blood of a sorceress, too."

"Who's?" Selphie asked, suddenly fearful.

Cooper leaned over the counter to grab a sheet of paper that rested on it. He handed it to Selphie. It was Rinoa's bio. "Rinoa Heartilly's."

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Paranoia had finally struck Alexis by the time she managed to slip out of the Underground base. No one had even noticed her leave. Of course they didn't. They were too worried about their precious _Rinoa_. It made her sick to her stomach, but she would have the last laugh. She would be the one on top of the pile, and it was going to be a big pile.

She made her way back towards the orphanage, her mind set on the Ragnarok. She would leave them stranded here, all of them, while she executed her brilliant plan. And it was brilliant. Nothing could possibly be more brilliant. Rinoa would get what she deserved, and Alexis would get what she wanted. Everybody wins.

She chuckled to herself as she approached the giant red machine. She was a genius. This plan couldn't be better, but there was still that one little objecting voice that always found it necessary to burst her happy bubble. It kept saying, _" What if you lose Squall, too? What if he wants to be with Rinoa and not you? After all, you were only just a replacement." _

At this, Alexis kicked a rock as hard as she could that went soaring out across the land. She was angry again, partly at the idea that voice might actually be right. But it couldn't be! That wasn't fair! She had worked so hard to get him for her own, and she most certainly was not about to lose him to that…conniving slut! She kicked another rock, but this one hit the side of the Ragnarok and brought her back to reality. She was on a mission, and she wouldn't stop until Rinoa was in the hands of one who could ruin her life forever.

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"Oh…my…G-!" Zell exclaimed, jaw hitting the floor as his eyes saw that bio that now rested in Selphie's hands.

"No kidding," Selphie muttered. "Well, that explains that mystery."

"What mystery?" Cooper asked, not understanding.

"Where did you get this?" Star asked, waving the bio while Zell stood with his mouth ajar and eyes wide.

"The Captain gave it to me, for the experiment. I needed the power estimate. Why?" he asked.

"Because this is part of a SeeD protected file on Rinoa, a good friend of ours." Selphie said, being more serious than she was known to be. "This information is top secret and about a week ago, it was stolen. We found it here, but Quistis, she's the blonde with us, noticed that the most important thing in this file was missing. That would be this." Selphie waved it in the air again.

"Well, now you have it," Cooper said, shrugging.

"Yeah, but that's not the point!" she exclaimed. "This is extremely important information! We can't just let this float around the whole world!"

"But it hasn't-" Cooper started, but Selphie interrupted him. She was on a roll and it was slightly difficult to get her to stop talking once she got started.

"We need to know who all has seen this information. That includes names and numbers." Star demanded.

"Will you calm down for a second!" Cooper exclaimed, grabbing Selphie's wrist lowering it and the paper to her side. "It hasn't been around the world. Only Mika, Brick, the Captain, and I have seen this. Okay? Calm down."

"I still need to meet these people and make sure." She said darkly.

"Suit yourself, but the Captain already swore us to secrecy, instructing us that we couldn't tell a soul." Cooper said, forewarning them.

"Dude!" Zell exclaimed louder, speaking for the first time in several minutes. "You told us!"

"Oh," he said, suddenly realizing that Zell was right. "So I did."

"Ya think?!" he yelled, jumping up and down.

"Umm," he scratched his head nervously.

"Now, we need that information even more!" Selphie groaned. "because if you're blabbing to every stranger that enters the room, then we need to know who all your buddies have blabbed to!"

"Now, in my defense," Cooper began slowly. "You guys know the Commander, so naturally I was lured into a sense of security to tell you."

Selphie and Zell looked at him in total stupidity before Selphie turned and smacked Zell on the back of the head.

"Ow, ow, ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"Well, I don't know him well enough to smack him for that stupid excuse so I used you instead!" she exclaimed. Cooper just started to laugh.

"It's perfectly logical, Nancy Drew!" she snapped. She turned back to Cooper. "As for you, mister!"

"I DO NOT READ NANCY DREW!!" Zell exclaimed, shrieking at the top of his lungs and raising his voice a couple of octaves.

Cooper and Selphie looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Nancy Drew?" Cooper asked Selphie while Zell stood there, panting and enraged.

Oh, it's nothing really, I just found a Nancy Drew book in his room one time with his name in it," she waved her hand at the question like it didn't even matter.

"Nancy Drew?" Cooper asked, looking at Zell. "Dude, are you gay?"

"AHH!" Zell shrieked. "I'm leaving! You guys suck!"

"Really?" Cooper asked, hiding a smile.

"I AM NOT GAY!" he exclaimed from out the door. They heard him stomp away until it was quiet again.

"Well," Cooper remarked with a smile. "That was certainly interesting."

"That's Zell for ya!" Selphie replied.

"Is he gay?" Cooper asked seriously.

"Well, sometimes I wonder, but I don't think so," she shrugged.

"If you say so," he returned to his beloved experiment.

"Will you make sure we get that information?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah, but no one knows other than us. I can assure you that." He replied.

"Aright, but I still need that information."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged.

"Thanks!" she giggled. "Tee-hee!"

Cooper turned around and looked at her strangely. "You are quite a character," he said.

"I know!" she smiled and darted out the room.

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It was approaching dusk as Alexis landed the Ragnarok outside of Deling City. Soon, the gates would close, and she would either be locked out or in. She preferred the latter.

She made it into the city just in time to slip through the gates. The city of Deling was rather barren as most of everyone had prepared themselves for sleep hours before. Soon the city would darken, her favorite time.

She slipped up to the Presidential Palace and entered the gates without any objections from anyone else. She waltzed up to the entrance of the family quarters and as she entered through the large oak doors, she heard a voice.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Alexis _Dormait_," Cabait said from the top of the grand staircase ahead of her. His tone was sadistic and bitter. She moved to the bottom step and stood with her hands on her hips, staring him down until he finally smiled and added, "Welcome, sister."

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"Tell me, sister," Cabait said as he and Alexis sat in the library of the palace with tea in front of a roaring fire. "You have not been seen for several years. What brings you here now?"

"I have done my task that you and father requested of me," she began. "I went to Balamb and followed them around, and you were right, my brother. She is alive."

He scowled. "I figured as much. But your mission was to find her and kill her. Has that been done?"

"No," she grinned. "I have a much better idea."

"Go on,"

"You still want her, correct?" she asked. "You still want her for your own, to be your wife and belong to only you, right?"

"Yes," he eyes her suspiciously.

"Then you can have her," she smiled. "I will give you her exact location. Take her, make her your own. Torture her, make her your slave forever, and show the Galbadian traitors that you are dominant. Show them that they cannot beat us."

"Go on," an evil smile spread across his lips as his eyes closed, enjoying the words that came from her lips.

"Make them all understand that you are supreme ruler and even now their beloved leader is at your mercy." She matched his smile.

"Alexis, my dear twin, my equal, my identical mind," he smiled still and leaned over to affectionately kiss her hand. "You continue to amaze me. What can I give you in return for this glorious present?"

"The satisfaction of the misery and torment that will fill her life until the end will suffice," she replied. "And Leonhart."

"It is done," he commended. "Now take me to my future bride and slave."

* * *

A/N: Ha! Well, I hope you guys don't kill me, but wow what a plot twist! Did anybody see that coming??? Good. Uh, about Cooper, I described him according to a friend of mine. In fourth grade (I'm a senior now) a kid named Devon Thompson decided he would see what would happen if he took a little metal paper clip and stuck it in a light socket. I kid you not. I was there. He was shocked so badly that his hair went in all different directions and you could smell something burning all day. It was so funny! Even now, we still pick on him for that!

This was, not only a long chapter, but also an odd one. The thing with Zell was just a mirrored example of an argument I had with a buddy of mine. He seems to think that Zell is gay, and I keep telling him he's not. My buddy said that in the game Zell spends a lot of time in the library and made the comment that maybe he was reading Nancy Drew. That's how that initially got started.

Sorry for such a long wait on my part. In May I was hit in the face with something that I couldn't have seen coming a mile away. So my life has been rather, uh, off-balance to say the least, but I'm slowly getting back on track, and hopefully I will have this completed within the next few weeks. Hopefully being the key word. Lol. Later Days guys!


	14. Almost There and Lost Again

Hey guys. I know, I know. It's been a really long time since I updated. All I can say is I'm sorry. I've been neglecting my duties, but in my defense, this has been an incredibly hectic life for me. I've been on trips, working six days a week, and getting ready for college. I've had barely enough time to sit down and think. Well, I'm back and I'm going to try to get this story done and get back to working on some of my other ones.

Disclaimer: I do not own any ideas, places, or characters of Final Fantasy VIII.

_**The Force That Divides Us**_

_Chapter Thirteen_

"_Almost There and Lost Again"_

Mika had been searching every little niche and cranny in the base for the Captain, but she had succeeded in hiding herself from the rest of them. Mika knew that she was hurting. Alexis had gone too far this time and said things that were highly uncalled for. If it were up to her, she would take care of Alexis permanently, but she figured that the Captain would not enjoy that. Vengeance is only sweet when done by yourself. Mika smiled. She knew that all too well. Half of her life had been filled with the need to seek revenge. She would respect the unspoken wishes of her Captain and not complain. Mika cared deeply for the Captain and would do nothing to upset her even more than she already was. She was hurt, angry with Alexis and herself. Mika knew that the Captain blamed herself for her continued misery and pain, when, in reality, she was more than innocent. She had committed herself to the good of the people, and the government saw it as treason, As usual, the government was to blame.

Mika entered the System Control Room and stopped inside the doorway as she laid eyes on the Captain, curled up in a chair, watching the monitors. She smiled and walked over to her.

"You seem to have mastered that disappearing act," she said, taking a seat beside her.

Her eyes never left the screens, "I've had practice."

"So it seems," Mika's smile faded as she watched the Captain's sad, lonely face. "Angel, are you all right?"

"…No," she whispered, turning away, hiding her face from Mika as fresh tears swelled up in her eyes.

"What can I do?" Mika asked, laying a hand on her shoulder gently.

"Tell me w hat to do," she replied, turning to face her.

"I can only give suggestions," Mika warned kindly. "You have to decide what you need to do."

"I can't," she sighed. She looked so distressed, so sad and unhappy.

"You have to," she gripped her shoulder. "No one can fix this but you."

"How can I fix it when I don't even know what to do?" The Captain asked, upset.

"That," Mika said. "You must figure out on your own."

"You're some help," she muttered grumpily.

Mika had a hard time concealing her laughter. "I can't do this for you."

"I know that," she snapped. "I just don't want to do it."

"Why?" Mika asked.

"Because it hurts so badly," she replied. "I know I have to do this, but I don't want to go through with it. I don't want to explain to him who I am, for I know it's going to hurt him. He thought I was dead, yet here I am, alive and well. It's going to crush him."

"Probably," Mika agreed. "But he needs to know."

The Captain sighed in her own defeat. "Yes, he does."

"So why don't you go ahead and get it over with?" Mika asked, dropping the hint rather bluntly.

"What?" she asked, alarmed.

"Why don't you go tell him now?" she repeated slower.

"Now?" her voice was shaking very obviously.

"Yes, now!" Mika watched as the terror in her eyes grew. "If you keep stalling, it will only get worse!"

"Yes, but…" she stammered.

"No 'buts' about it!" Mika exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "You need to do it! It'll ease most of your pain and suffered don't you want that?"

'Yes, but…" she repeated.

"I said no buts!" Mika nearly roared. "You must take the initiative! You must fix what you started! It's the only way to make things right again."

The Captain looked at Mika with the stupidest look imaginable. "Mika, you sound like one of those stupid prophets in some epic movie, standing in front of some charming, distressed hero, with the classic good versus evil plot!" There was the evident tinge of sarcasm in her voice.

"Look, at least I'm making an effort," Mika said darkly.

"Yes, and shocking, not motivating me any more than when you were lecturing me," she retaliated dryly.

"I'm trying," Mika said knowingly.

"And I'm not?" she demanded.

"From the looks of it, no." Mika answered.

"I am too!" she exclaimed. "This is a lot harder than it looks! In my defense, you didn't love him!"

"No," Mika said, her face growing much more serious. "But I do know the feeling. I know what it's like."

"Then you should be able to tell me what to do!" The Captain exclaimed, annoyed.

"Every situation is different, and this doesn't concern me," Mika replied.

"ARGH!" The Captain yelled. "How can I make it concern you?" she asked, panting.

"You can't," Mika said.

"Why not?" she asked desperately.

"Because, you just can't. This is between you and him. I have no idea what went on between you two. I wasn't there, and I don't know the bond that you had. Only you or him can fix this, and he doesn't even know what's wrong, so it's up to you." She patted her shoulder gently.

"No pressure, huh?" the Captain muttered sarcastically.

"There's always going to be the element of pressure, no matter what you decide to do," Mika answered.

"You weren't supposed to say that," The Captain grumbled.

"Well, I'm not going to sugar coat it," Mika aid, hiding her own annoyance.

"I'd prefer it if you did," she rolled her eyes.

"I can't do that. You need to hear the truth. Lying to you won't get you anywhere."

"You sound like my mother," the Captain was highly irrigated now. "Stop it." She didn't want to have to think about her mother.

"Well, I'm sorry, but you have to hear it from someone." Mika said.

"I'd prefer not to hear it from anyone." She hissed.

"Too bad," Mika replied. "Sometimes you need a little guidance, even when you're twenty-five."

"Is that what you call this?" The Captain asked, not in the least bit amused. "Guidance?" she rolled her eyes.

"As a mater of fact," Mika said sternly. "I do. Believe it or not, you're still very young and not quite exposed to the world."

"Not exposed?" The Captain exclaimed, jumping to her feet. Her face was flushed with sudden anger.

"Yes," Mika nodded.

"Then what do you call running all over the world after some death-obsessed, possessing sorceress? Mika," she hissed. "With all due respect, I have fought more battles than you have and had more encounters with death than you will ever have, so don't tell me I'm not exposed."

"You know what I mean!" Mika countered.

"Actually, I don't!" she snapped, irritated. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

"I meant in love," she replied. "You don't know what it's like to truly and completely lose someone." The Captain opened her mouth to protest. "No, don't argue with me. You've always known exactly where he was. You've always known that he would always come running. You haven't been forced to make a choice, and you haven't lost the one person you live your life for." Her eyes glanced to the side, looking nowhere but seeing some distant memory float across her eyes. "You've never had to wonder if your life is worth the existence. You've never been tortured by the thoughts that you caused his destruction. You've never made excuses to tell him why you had to do it. You've never seen the look in his eyes that tells you he is in pain and suffers because of you…" He voice faded, ending on the saddest note imaginable.

"Mika," the Captain started gently. She reached out to her, but stopped, returning her hand back to her side, useless.

"It doesn't matter now," she muttered, shaking herself out of the trance. "Just promise me that you'll fix this. I don't want you to have to go through the same thing that I had to. I don't want you to endure that kind of pain. It's not worth it. Believe me."

"Sometimes pain is a good thing," the Captain whispered quietly.

Mika's eyes lit up like sparks. "No, it's not! Pain is never a good thing!" she hissed.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body. If you have no weakness, then what makes you human?" the Captain asked of her companion sternly.

"You will always have a weakness no matter what happens, and that weakness will never leave you body or soul." Mika turned away. "You and I share a common weakness: love. Don't lose your weakness, Angel. Don't let it get away because it's the one weakness that will make you stronger." She turned her head only enough to view the Captain out the corner of her eye.

"Mika," she watched her friend with sad eyes.

"Don't bother wasting your sympathy on me. I'm a lost cause," she walked to the door. "But you still have a chance. Don't lose it." And with those last words, she slipped away.

The Captain turned to face the monitors again. She looked at the quiet, lonely world outside and longed to be completely a part of it.

"Why is this never easy?" she demanded angrily.

&

Cooper was bent over his wonderful creation, admiring it lovingly. This was truly his masterpiece. Its beauty was astonishing even for a weapon. He knew it was better than the Lionheart, too.

But it needed a name.

He frowned at this new problem. He was no good with names. Nothing ever sounded right. He began to pace the lab, occasionally glancing back at the blade. What would be fitting for something this perfect? It needed a name. He couldn't just leave it without a title, but it had to be perfect. Nothing else would do.

"Hmmm," he stared down at the blade. "What should I name you?" He half expected an answer, but that was foolish. A weapon couldn't talk to him! "Maybe if I held it…?" he reached out to lift it, but when he touched it, a shocking sensation went through his body, causing so much pain. He winced and pulled back quickly. "What the…?" A bright light then erupted from the blade.

A cloud of white formulated at the ceiling of the lab directly above the blade. Cooper watched with curious, frightened eyes while clutching his hand. A picture appeared on the cloud.

It was the Commander and Sorceress Rinoa Heartilly.

"Whoa!" he breathed.

It was like watching a memory reel. Scenes of battles ran before him, always showing the Commander protecting Rinoa. He saw them defeat the Sorceress Ultimecia, saw them together on a barren wasteland fighting off death, and kiss on an ivy-covered balcony beneath a star-lit sky. He saw the bond they shared, saw the love. He felt his whole body warm up at the sight of the two young lovers. But he also saw a rift that grew between them. He viewed more scenes, only these were scenes of almost violence. He saw them fighting, now with each other. The love was fleeting. Finally, he saw them separate, her leaving for what seemed like good. He saw the years attach themselves to the Commander in his heartbroken loneliness. He then saw Sorceress Rinoa. He saw her enter the ranks of the Resistance at the beginning of the war.

But it was then that he saw what shocked him the most. He saw a lab at the Weapon's Facility. Right off the bat, he felt pain from this cold, dark, eerie lab. It looked more like a torture chamber with a table in the center and restraints lying across it. Suddenly, he saw Rinoa lying on this table. The restraints were in place tightly across her body at her shoulders, stomach, and thighs. A man stood beside her wearing a white lab coat. His face was dark and unreadable, and in his hand, he held a large needle filled with a dark substance. On the other side of the table stood the familiar form of the little Dr. Odine. Rinoa's body was limp, and it was apparent that she was unconscious. Wounds covered the visible parts of her body and her clothes were ripped and tatters.

Cooper could not help but wonder, _"Had she been tortured?"_

He could not take his eyes off the scene before him and watched it change again. He saw the same room, but this time Rinoa was conscious speaking with Dr. Odine. He saw the doctor hand Rinoa a black necklace, which he recognized to be the same one the Captain wore. He also saw the doctor inject Rinoa with another needle filled with dark liquid. She cringed and fell again on the table.

And a transformation took place.

Cooper watched as all the pieces finally fell together. Slowly, the young sorceress' midnight black hair changed to blood red and those chocolate brown eyes lightened, adding green around the cornea. Rinoa became the Captain. Rinoa and Nira became one.

As both the scene and the cloud faded away, Cooper's face was fixed in an expression of complete shock and awe. He finally understood why the Captain was so interested in the Commander. The Captain and Sorceress Rinoa were he exact same person!

"Well," he said out loud after some time. "This certainly explains a lot."

&

The halls of the Underground Base were desolate except for the echoing of the cowboy's boots on the walls. He knew that no one would hear him or even acre. He had so much to do in what he knew was so little time. He did not trust one member of this team and knew that it was only a matter of time before something happened. Galbadia was growing restless, whispers of attacks on the Gardens and the headquarters of the Resistance were all over the place. Irvine had come back here to warn the Underground. He knew that Vincent Deling had to have something planned for them, and he wanted to warn them. Something fishy was going on.

But right now, he needed to check up on Alexis. She had been quiet, hiding herself away since she tried to expose the Captain. He did not trust her in any way. She had too much against her, despite the fact that she was a SeeD and very close to Squall. That reminded him. He needed to warn Squall, too, even though he knew it was a wasted effort. Squall wouldn't listen, but Irvine still felt like he needed to say something regardless.

So he was headed down to Alexis' room. He only hoped that she was there, but he had the feeling that she wasn't. He had that certain dreading feeling that Alexis was already gone.

Coming around the corner, he heard voices, voices that sounded very, very familiar.

"I am NOT gay!" A male voice huffed. Irvine nearly choked when he realized whom the voice belonged to.

"I never said you were," the bubbly voice of Selphie was heard too. Irvine smiled at the sound her sorely missed.

"You're telling everyone I am!" he exclaimed, near hysterics.

"I am not!" she said, giggling. "All I'm saying is that I found a Nancy Drew boom in your room."

"And everyone is taking that as a sign that I'm gay!" he exclaimed. "Which I'm not!"

Selphie laughed at this, "FYI- that's not my fault."

"YES IT IS!" he yelled. "You started it!"

She giggled again. Oh, how he really missed that giggle.

"I can't believe this!" Zell grumbled miserably. "How am I supposed to get my macho man status back?" he demanded of her.

Before she could reply, Irvine stepped around the corner. "That would be implying that you had it before, which you didn't."

Selphie and Zell both jumped at the sounds of his smooth voice and turned to him. Zell, at first, wore a look of shock, but then, once he saw who had spoken, he narrowed his eyes at the cowboy, displaying his immediate disapproval of the statement. Selphie, on the other hand, immediately expressed her excitement at seeing him.

"Irvy!" she squealed and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. She held him tightly, and he patted her back gently.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Zell demanded, sneering at the cowboy.

"Aww," Irvine lifted his hat with a wide grin. "You didn't miss me?"

"Not particularly," Zell mumbled.

"Zell!" Selphie exclaimed, rightfully smacking the annoying guy. "Of course we missed you, Irvy!" She assured him with a big smile.

"Yeah, we did," Zell said quickly, rolling his eyes. "But what ARE you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Galbadia Garden, helping the Headmaster?"

"I'm doing someone a favor," Irvine replied with nothing further.

"Who?" Selphie asked.

"An old friend," he looked away, almost as if he were ashamed.

"What kind of favor?" Zell asked, suspicion in his eyes.

"It's nothing bad!" Irvine exclaimed. "It has to do with the war! I'm helping the Underground."

"Why? Didn't Squall tell all Gardens to remain out of Galbadian affairs?" Zell demanded.

"Then why are you here?" Irvine countered, even though he already knew the answer.

"We had to rescue his Commander-ness," Zell said, rolling his eyes again. "He went and got himself kidnapped."

"Ha, I never thought I'd live to see the day when someone got the best of Squall," Irvine said with a laugh.

Selphie watched Irvine closely as he and Zell held their conversation, bonding together almost like old times. But something disturbed her. Something about Irvine didn't feel quite right. He didn't seem like his old self. A change had happened in him, and she wasn't sure if she liked it much.

Irvine turned his attention to Selphie, displaying confusion as her big green eyes pierced through him. "What?"

She opened her mouth and spoke very softly, very unlike her, "What do you know that we don't?"

The Captain scowled at her lousy luck. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why couldn't there be, for once, a simple solution? She groaned, tearing her eyes finally away from the monitors. She couldn't just run away again, although she desperately wanted to. She'd been running for most of her life, and she'd found that it just doesn't work. Nothing ever gets solved that way. Besides, she was sick of running anyway. It hadn't gotten her very far lately.

So now the question was what to do next? Even though it scared her, she believed that she really should go talk to Squall. She did owe him the truth, even though it would hurt both of them. She feared what he would say, though. She cared so much for him and didn't want to push him away from her. But she did deserve that. She deserved his anger for all the pain and suffering she put him through over the past five years.

"Maybe Alexis was right," she whispered, eyes dropping to the floor.

The words on the page both scared and angered Squall. These were things that no one was supposed to know. He had tried so hard to protect Rinoa, and even in her death, he'd failed. He couldn't stop this crazy organization from stealing valuable information about her, and he knew that he wasn't going to be able to stop Galbadia from disturbing her final resting place. He gripped the paper tightly in both hands, despair filling him to the brim.

Quistis watched him with sad eyes and gently laid a tender hand on his arm. "It's not your fault."

"It is," Squall replied. "I should have had all this information burned when she died." He shook his head, holding the paper even tighter. "I've failed her, Quistis."

"Stop it," she said gripping his arm. "You have done no such thing. These are circumstances beyond your control. There is no way you could have prevented this."

"I could have destroyed her data!" he exclaimed bitterly.

"There are still others who know!" Quistis replied, actually remaining calm, despite Squall's rising temper.

"Like who?" Squall demanded, his despair turning now into almost total rage. "Who else could've known about her power estimate?"

"You'd be surprised," she whispered, looking away.

"Don't you see?" he exclaimed, flinging the paper from his hand. It drifted onto the table that stood nearby. "I could have done something, and I didn't!"

Quistis only shook her head. She knew that there was no way to get through to him when he got like this. She removed her hand from his arm and left the room, with nothing more to him.

"I could've done something…." He whispered, saddened.

Her mind was made up, finally. She knew what needed to be done and knew that it was imperative that she do it. Squall deserved the truth, and the truth she would give to him. She did, however, fear the outcome and fear what would happen between them, but she now know that she had to tell him.

She left the Control Room and headed down to his prison with such determination that she almost scared herself. She had finally decided on what needed to be done, and she wasn't going to back down now. She'd come too far, made too many sacrifices and hurt too many people.

"Where to in such a hurry?" A voice asked her from the shadows in the corridor.

She stopped, momentarily distracted and turned in the direction of the voice she knew all too well. "I need to talk to Squall."

Seifer stepped out of the shadows and narrowed his cold eyes on her. "About?"

The Captain scowled. "I think you know." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"So you're actually going to tell Puberty-Boy the truth?" he asked, sneering.

"Look," she said darkly. "I don't need your input on this." She started to walk away, but he grabbed her and stopped her.

"Well, you're getting it," he held her tightly, preventing her from going anywhere while he had something to say. "I don't think you should go through with this."

"What?" she tried her best to hide the shock.

"I think you should just leave it alone and get his help." He replied sternly. "It's too late, and telling him the truth will only make things worse. You can't change the past, and you can't make things better. It's unrepairable, so it's best just to leave it alone and keep going."

"Keep going?" she demanded, ripping herself out of his grasp. "I'm not you, Seifer. I can't just let go of my past, and I can't just run away from the mistakes I've made. I won't be able to get on with my life until I've taken care of this."

"Really?" he asked face hardening as he stared at her. "Because it seems to me that you've already done a lot of running."

She looked away, ashamed and stung by his words. "I know, but I'm through with running. It's done nothing for me this far."

"How can you expect to change this late?" he demanded.

"Because I know I can," she replied, walking around him. "You can't change my mind. I have the will, and I have the resolve."

"You're setting yourself up to get hurt," he warned.

"Maybe so," she agreed. "But I've been hurt for the past five years."

"You can't take much more," he said.

"Seifer," she said, turning her back to him now. "I'm not a child. I can take care of myself, and I can fight my own battles." She walked away, heading back again to her task at hand.

"Humph," he said as he watched her leave. "Good luck with that."

She pretended she didn't hear that as she walked away from him. Her mind was made up, and she didn't need the negative voice of someone else hindering her. This was something that needed to be done, and she'd put it off for far too long. It was time she stepped up and took control.

It didn't take long to reach the cell where Squall resided. She entered to find him leaning against the wall, arms over his chest, staring down at the floor. She'd seen him like this so many times, and it definitely brought back memories, both good and bad ones. He looked up, his cold eyes meeting hers, and that's when she saw the anger that resided in them. She titled her head curiously.

"Why?" he demanded coldly.

"Why what?" she asked, confused.

"What made you think that you had the right to do that?" his voice was growing louder.

"I-I had to," she whispered.

"You had to?" he exclaimed. "You had to ruin our lives and throw us into chaos? Don't you realize what you've done? You've affected all of us! You've affected all of Garden!" A fire of hatred burned deep in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to!" she pleaded, trying to make him understand. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"Well it did!" he yelled. He had pushed himself off from the wall and was advancing towards her. "Tell me, who all have you told? Who all have you blabbed to?"

"No one, I swear!" Tears were streaming down her face. "No one knows. I kept it a secret!"

"A secret?" he boomed. "Then explain to me why my people found it in the possession of your engineer!"

"Because I-" Then she looked at him, tears now dry as dust. "What?"

"If you claim that no one knows about that information, then how come Selphie and Zell discovered it in the possession of your Weapons Engineer?" he demanded.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she realized that they weren't talking about the same thing.

"What?!" she exclaimed, her own anger boiling up inside her.

"Who all saw it?" he demanded, angrily.

"IS THAT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT?!" she screamed, enraged. "Is that all that matters to you?! A stupid, outdated power estimate that has almost no meaning or truth to it?!"

"It also contained a biography of someone very important!" he retaliated.

"A bio that everyone already knew!" she snapped. "It's not like her life was a complete secret!"

"There was still some classified information!" He came closer, angry, but she was not afraid. "You had no right to take those things out of my possession and then distribute them to your little lackeys."

"I had _every_ right!" she yelled. "I had more right than you did! You were the one who crossed the line!"

"Rinoa's life was entrusted into my care and that includes information on her power!" he barked.

"Well, look what a damn good job you did!" she screamed and stormed out of the cell.

Squall was taken back by her words. They stung and hurt him deeply. But she had a point. He had failed Rinoa.

The Captain stormed down the hall, anger boiling over her. She'd never been so angry in her life and she felt like punching or breaking something. She had all this rage and nowhere to put it. She suddenly broke out into a run, thinking of only an exit, a way out. She wanted nothing more than to get away from this place. She'd told herself she wouldn't run anymore. Running was the only thing that helped her now, and even that gave her little to no relief. She thought that telling the truth, pouring out her soul would help her, but it has seemed to only further complicate things.

She finally found the exit and ran out into the fresh air and dropped to her knees, panting, her thoughts racing. What was she going to do? There was no hope for Rinoa, no hope for her. She wanted to give up, abandon all hope that she once had. She sighed and looked up.

Alexis was standing right in front of her.

She tried to speak but no words came out. She was engulfed in total fear.

"Hello, my love," the voice of Cabait was suddenly all around her, and everything went black.

A/N: I know it has been forever, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of you have left me, but I'm coming back!


	15. What Hurts the Most

Hey, everybody

Hey, everybody! See? I told you I'd be back. It just took me awhile is all. I figured you can always go back to your roots, even if you have other stuff going on. Haha so, anyway, here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy VIII ideas, characters, plots, and settings belong to Square.

_**The Force That Divides Us**_

_Chapter Fourteen_

"_What Hurts the Most"_

Squall was just as angry as the Captain was, and he paced the cell angrily. He'd gotten over her words. Rinoa had entrusted him with her life, which included her afterlife, so he had more right to her information than the Captain did! He loved Rinoa; the Captain didn't, so what right did she have? He was so angry now. Every time he saw the bio on the table, it just fueled his anger.

"What right does _she_ have?" he growled. "What right?"

Quistis could hear him from down the hall, and she had seen the Captain come running out. "Every right."

"What?" Squall demanded, turning to her as she now stood in the doorway.

"She had more right than you think." She walked over to the table and turned over the bio to the blank side. "I think it's time you knew."

"Knew what?" he demanded, his anger having not yet subdued.

"The truth." And she produced a pen to write the following words on the page: _Nira O'Reallity._

"What's that?" he asked. She didn't answer him but slowly moved the letters around until below the name they read _Rinoa Heartilly._ She set the pen down and stepped away to give him the full view. The color on his face drained.

"What is this?" he asked, his voice quiet and almost fearful.

"When you talked to her, did you not notice something familiar about her?" she asked, remaining calm. Squall nodded. "Did you not sense something about her that made you think you knew her?"

Squall thought for a moment, eyes staring at the words on the page. "Rinoa…" The name was barely spoken above a whisper. He looked up to Quistis. "The Captain _is_ Rinoa, isn't she?"

"Yes," Quistis nodded gravely.

Squall gathered the paper in his shaking hands. "She's alive?" His voice was cracking and wavering uneasily.

"Only physically," Quistis sighed and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She died when she left Garden. Dr. Odine did the rest. She's different. She changed for you, Squall."

He shook his head. "I didn't want her to change. I didn't want her to leave, either." He was holding the paper so tightly that it was beginning to tear. "It just happened."

"I know." Quistis didn't know what to say to him. There were no words to comfort him.

"How long?"

"What?" She was caught off guard by the sudden change in his attitude. Now, he was mad.

"How long have you known about all this?" he demanded, now balling the paper up and throwing it angrily to the wall.

This was the part that Quistis had dreaded for months when it became apparent that she would soon have to tell Squall. She turned away nervously, immediately revealing her secret. Guilt was written all over her face and embedded in her body language, and it certainly didn't take a genius to figure it out.

"The whole time?" he demanded, now even angrier than Quistis thought.

"No, no, not the whole time," she confessed. "Edea didn't tell me until the transformation was complete nearly three weeks later."

"Transformation?" he growled, eyes flaring. "Quistis, I demand to know what the hell is going on!"

At this moment, the most Quistis could do was sigh. She avoided Squall's piercing eyes, avoided the hatred and the hurt they revealed. He would hide nothing now. She knew he didn't have the strength anymore, but looking now into those eyes, she felt her heart turn to dust.

"Quistis, you need to tell me _now_. That is an order," he growled.

She lifted a hand to momentarily rub her temples, a technique that usually worked to organize her thoughts in high stress times. It failed to work this time. Her head was still spinning and threatening to explode.

"Quistis!" his voice was frantic. She couldn't stall anymore.

She sighed, "For this one, you'd better sit down." She pointed to a chair at the desk, but he forced himself against the wall and slumped down it. "A few days before she left, Rinoa came to see me. She made me swear never to tell a soul. We talked about a number of things, but one was the most important. She told me she planned to leave Garden. She told me she still owed it to those in Timber to set them free. The fight you had the night before did not influence her decision in the least." She sighed again and moved to the chair that he abandoned. "About a week later, she sent me a letter stating that she was going into the Resistance and would be part of a mission to infiltrate the Galbadian Palace. We corresponded until the act took place. She knew it was risky but still wanted to do something. The day you received that letter from General Caraway, Irvine came. I, too, was under the influence that she was dead. I met alone with Irvine who told me it was a hoax. Yes, Rinoa's unit was captured, but the night before her execution, General Caraway and Mika, one of the members who abducted you, rescued her. Rinoa was then taken here and was replaced by a fake young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Rinoa. The young woman offered to take Rinoa's place to rescue her. She was dying from cancer and her body is buried as Rinoa's."

"But…her looks?" Squall questioned, referring to _his_ Rinoa.

"I'm getting there." She nodded. "Rinoa had already been badly injured and her powers were harming her, so she was taken to Odine's lab in Esthar and underwent a dangerous experiment to put her powers under control. But Dr. Odine didn't tell anyone else that Rinoa had requested he change her appearance. It was a success, at a cost. Her powers are still dangerous."

"What did he do to her?" Squall growled, standing.

"That's enough," she commanded sternly. "What he did, she asked him to do. She knew everything ahead of time and still wanted it because she felt it was necessary. You have no idea the pain and trauma that she went through just to get this far. She couldn't stay at Garden until her promise to Timber was fulfilled. She has grown so much and has become the true essence of what SeeD is. You should be proud of her." Quistis didn't know what else to say to him. He was staring, not at her, but at the wall behind her, his face still as stone. He was thinking that she could tell, but what he was thinking was a completely different story.

"Where is she now?" he asked softly, almost as if he was having trouble finding his voice.

"I-I don't know," Quistis answered, failing to keep from stuttering. She just didn't know what to do anymore, and she really didn't think that he should see her right now. She had heard their earlier confrontation, and she believed that they both needed time to cool off.

"I need to find her," he said firmly, looking at Quistis with this new determination. It was almost terrifying. Quistis feared for Rinoa, or rather, Captain Nira.

"Now, Squall, she said carefully. "I really don't think that's a good idea."

"I don't care. I need to see her." He pushed her out of his way and walked out of the cell. Quistis sighed and followed after him. She was afraid of what he might do. Of course, he'd never physically hurt Rinoa, but sometimes words are worse than any beating.

"Now, listen to me Squall," Quistis said, rushing to his side and struggling to keep up with his long determined strides. "I really think you both need time to cool off before you confront each other. I heard that argument the two of you had, and I know you still haven't completely calmed down from that. Just listen to me, Squall. Stop this and let's go back." She was speaking, but she knew that her words were falling on deaf ears. He was determined, and after all the years she'd spent around him, she knew that when he had his mind completely set on something, there was nothing that could be done to stop him.

"I need to see her." He kept saying those words over and over and picking up his pace. Quistis wasn't even sure if he knew where he was going, but he kept on, like a machine.

"Squall," she tried to get his attention but to no avail. He was gone and wasn't coming back until he saw Rinoa. She inwardly cursed SeeD for turning him into something like this.

The two of them turned the corner to find Seifer standing there. If Squall had not been so focused on finding and seeing Rinoa, he probably would have attacked Seifer. This was the first time he'd seen his formal rival in years and had thought that he was either dead or rotting in a cell somewhere. But he only stopped and stood staring, shocked.

"Seifer?" Quistis wasn't sure if his presence was a blessed distraction or a horrible addition to this curse.

He ignored her completely and focused solely on Squall, "Mika needs to see you. Now." His voice was stern and serious, two qualities very unlike him. He swiftly turned around, his old and tattered trench coat flowed about him, and he marched away. Squall nodded once and followed/ Quistis found that she couldn't move. No, she was rooted to the spot. She was horribly confused and ready to pull her hair out, screaming at the top of her lungs. She watched as the two former rivals walked away in peaceful silence and shook her head. Finally finding her feet again, she followed after them.

Seifer led Squall into the Control Room where Mika, Brick, Amy, Cooper, Selphie, Zell, and Irvine all waited. Quistis appeared moments later.

"What's going on?" she asked, being the first to break the silence that had nicely settled.

Mika, who sat at the monitors stood and entered the center of the room, gaining attention from everyone immediately. "Today has so far proven not to be the best day for either the Underground or the Resistance. We received word from Timber HQ that Galbadia is moving forward on all plans and has overtaken Galbadia Garden."

'WHAT?!" Squall and Irvine both exclaimed. Squall's head snapped to meet Irvine, seeing the cowboy for the first time. He was about to say something, most likely to inquire as to why he was here when he should be preventing what had just happened, but Mika continued, cutting him off.

"This is not good new indeed, but it gets much worse." She paced the center briefly before stopping again. "We have less than 48 hours to stop Galbadia's plan at the Weapons Facility. It seems that what we thought was their main project is just a side. They have something else planned that is much worse. Timber HQ has told us that we must blow up the Weapons Facility, destroying all their research and effectively stopping Galbadia completely. If we fail to do this, Galbadia will win." She paced again. Now they could see that she was uneasy and that something else was weighing down on her. "Commander, we need to know right now if you will aid us."

"I will not discuss this subject any further until I speak to Rinoa," he nearly snarled. The fire was lighting up in his eyes again, and everyone saw it.

"Rinoa is dead," Mika said quietly. The uneasiness was growing.

"Fine, I'll play your damn game. Where is the Captain?" he demanded.

Mika looked away, "She's gone."

"Gone? What the hell do you mean gone?" he demanded, taking a step towards Mika threateningly.

"I'll show you," the warrior woman said softly and walked over to the monitors. She hit a button and the video footage of the Captain's abduction began to play, revealing her captors as well.

"Oh my god!" Quistis exclaimed.

"When did this happen?" Squall asked, still enraged.

"Almost an hour ago," Mika replied. "There's nothing we can do. She's probably at the palace by now."

"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Squall nearly screamed, finally completely losing it.

"I'm sorry, but there's too much at stake. We must take care of the Resistance and this war first. She understands that, I'm sure," Mika said. She was completely set on letting her Captain stay in the hands of the enemy.

Squall looked away, turning his back on Mika. They all expected him to walk out, but he just stood there. Finally, he spoke, "How badly does the Resistance need SeeD?"

"We cannot win this war without SeeD," Mika answered truthfully. "That much is certain."

He turned finally," I am willing to make a deal with you."

"We're all listening," Mika said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I will give you top teams from Balamb and Trabria and get help from Esthar as well under one condition," he proposed.

"What?" Brick asked, stepping up to stand beside Mika.

"We make rescuing the Captain our first priority," Squall said. "If you agree to this, I myself will head the team to save her and have those promised teams dispatched by tomorrow morning."

Everyone in the room was completely shocked, but only Quistis and Mika knew why he had changed his mind about entering the war. He knew the truth now, but Squall had one other reason: upon seeing that Alexis was one of the captors, Squall knew Garden now had to enter. She was a SeeD and their problem.

"You have 10 seconds to decide," Squall said dangerously. "Going once…going twice…"

"You have a deal," Brick said quickly and stuck out his hand. The two men shook hands, signaling the start of a contract.

"Good," Squall said. "Now, how soon can we depart?"

"Wait a minute!" Mika exclaimed. "We need to carefully plan this! She's most likely been taken to the palace, and that is not an easy place to infiltrate, trust me."

"We've done it before," Squall said, almost as if he were bored.

"So have we," Mika countered.

"Successfully?" Squall asked. That was a cheap shot, and he knew it, but it worked in shutting her up. "Quistis and I will go after the Captain." They could all tell that he was struggling with those last words. "Selphie, Zell, and Irvine will lead your people into the destruction of the Weapons Facility. I will contact the Garden and have Xu prepare those teams for departure."

"Mika and I are coming with you, Commander," Brick said firmly. "We owe it to our Captain and our friend." Mika nodded in agreement.

"Wait a minute!" Quistis exclaimed. "Wait just one minute! Squall, how are you going to do this? You don't have a weapon with you! Your gunblade is back at Balamb, and you are just about useless at hand-to-hand combat." Zell snickered at this, but Quistis sent him a dirty look that quickly shut him up.

"Hey!" Selphie exclaimed. "Cooper, what about that gunblade that you made?"

"You made a gunblade?" Quistis asked, amazed.

"Um, yeah," the Weapons Engineer answered nervously, not used to all this attention.

"It's really cool!" Selphie said excitedly. "And it's more powerful than the Lionheart!"

Now those words caught Squall's attention. "You've made a gunblade more powerful than Lionheart? How can you be so certain?"

"Well, it's only more powerful than Lionheart when used by one person," Cooper squeaked.

"Who?" They all asked.

Cooper looked like he might die of fright. "I don't know." He shrugged. "The Captain was supposed to tell me, but she never did." He had completely forgotten all about what he'd seen about the Captain and Squall.

"It doesn't matter." Squall shook his head. "All I need is a weapon. The rest I can do on my own."

"All we need now is a good plan," Mika said.

"Which I have," Squall replied.

"And that would be?" Quistis asked,. "Don't you think you should fill us in?" They couldn't tell if she was impatient or just plain annoyed.

"Just get me a damn phone," Squall said, darkly. "Now."

A/N: Haha wow! Look at that! Two chapters in two days! Well, I'm certainly proud of myself. 


	16. The Offer

Well, hi again. I'm still here, writing half my life away. Ok so, that's not totally a bad thing. I have the rest of this story completely mapped out, so my guess is that I should be done with it fairly soon, but I still have my doubts. As I'm sure you all know, I have this wonderful habit of being distracted and also of frequently changing my mind. So, it's pretty much still up in the air.

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy VIII ideas, places, and characters belong to Square.

_**The Force That Divides Us**_

_Chapter Fifteen_

"_The Offer"_

She couldn't breathe.

_She could not breathe!_

The Captain snapped her eyes open and tried to move but found that she couldn't. She wasn't even sure of where she was. She was sitting on a stiff wooden chair. No, she was _tied_ to it. She couldn't move anything but her head and even that was difficult. She was so sore. Her body just simply ached. She tried to look around, but it was so dark. She knew she wasn't where she was supposed to be. She remembered Alexis and Cabait. She shuddered at his name. He was a twisted, horrible man. She'd escaped him once, but now he might have found her, the real her. At least now she didn't have to wonder about who betrayed her. It was Alexis. She cursed herself. They'd all warned her about Alexis, how her story didn't add up, but she was blind. She'd changed so much in the past 5 years, but as much as she tried, she couldn't seem to get rid of that belief that there was some good in everyone. Now she knew that had been her downfall.

She tried to move her arms and legs but pain overtook her. She could feel the ropes digging and cutting into her skin. She wanted to be released from this. She already felt like she was suffocating.

"You see, my darling, those ropes will contain you. You won't escape me this time." She'd recognize that voice anywhere. It was Cabait. Light suddenly flooded her eyes, and she found herself in what looked like a study. Books were everywhere and a cold fireplace stood at the end of the room by a table and two, tall-backed chairs. She figured she was in the Galbadian Palace. She finally looked up at Cabait. He was dressed very nicely, which she found suspicious. He wore a black suit with a white shirt and black tie and a white lily tucked into the breast pocket. Around his shoulders was a black cape with red velvet lining and attached at the collar with a brooch of the crest of the Deling family. Then she realized it: that was the traditional wedding attire for a Deling man. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat. He walked over to her and touched her face with his icy fingers. She thought about biting him but decided against it for now. "You will be mine forever," he whispered in her ear. She could feel his lips and shuddered.

Suddenly, he smacked her across the face. Her whole face stung and her head whipped to the side. He grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back so that she was forced to look up at him.

"That, my beauty, was for the horrible trick you played on me. I really thought you were dead." He smiled wickedly at her. "But I have you back again, my pet."

"I am not your pet, you monster," she spat out. "Let go of me."

He smacked her again, this time it was much harder and brought tears stinging to her eyes. The side of her face was on fire, but she wouldn't show her pain, no, not to Cabait. She panted and held back her urge to tell him to stop. He gripped her hair tighter. She thought her neck might break, but she kept silent.

"Don't talk back to me, my darling," he warned and lustfully touched her face again. Her body shivered as his hand slid down to her throat. His long fingers wrapped around her neck and slowly tightened, restricting her airflow. She couldn't resist her body from protesting. Gagging noises escaped her mouth, and she looked up at him with hatred.

"Do I hurt you?" he asked, almost sweetly, staring her down. She honestly thought he was getting off on torturing her. "Do you want me to stop?" She refused to answer him and so he squeezed harder. He would end up strangling her if something didn't happen.

"Stop," she managed to get the word out. She didn't want to, but she really didn't want to die at the hands of Cabait, either. She'd rather be thrown into a lava pit or have her body torn apart by rabid dogs.

He obeyed and let go of both her throat and her hair. She let her head drop onto her chest and panted, gasping for air. Looking up again, Cabait wasn't there. She could feel the hair rising on the back of her neck and turned her head. She saw him behind her and suddenly felt his hands on her shoulders. He was rubbing his hands over her shoulders now, and her mind was screaming at him to stop touching her, for him to go away. He closed his fingers down tightly on her shoulders, gripping her in place, not that she could really go anywhere.

"I have missed you, my pet," he was whispering in her ear again, his lips dangerously close. She was on the verge of having a complete panic attack. "But I never truly gave up on you. That's why I sent my sister."

Before her brain could stop her mouth, she inquired, "Your sister?"

He laughed and moved one hand down her back, his nails scratching her as he applied pressure. "Of course. Alexis is my twin. She looks young for her age, I know, but that's what made it perfect for her to enter your ranks. And with our dead mother's maiden name, no one made the connection. It was a flawless plan."

"You dog!" she hissed and tried to move away, but of course, it was totally pointless. She was still hopelessly tied down and at his complete mercy.

"You must admit, my dear, the plan was well-laid." He gripped her shoulder tighter and brought his other hand to the base of her neck and allowed it to follow the same path, creating deeper scratches. He kept doing this again and again, but se held her tongue, refusing to give in to him. He noticed this, of course, and applied much more pressure. "But that's enough of my brilliance, let's talk about you, my darling."

She feared where this "conversation" would go and continued to keep her silence. She would tell him nothing. She was no fool.

"I want to know _everything_," he whispered. His hand stopped harassing her back and moved to the back of her neck and slowly up through her hair. With every move he made, she felt more and more violated. She wanted him to stop touching her, to get away from her. "Yes, everything."

"I will tell you nothing!" she snarled out.

His hand suddenly wrapped around her hair, and he jerked her head back again. "Do I have to beat it out of you?" His voice was sickeningly smooth and calm.

"Do what you please," her voice was slowly losing its strength. "I will not breathe a word."

His other hand released her shoulder, and he hit her across the face again, striking first her right side. She bit her lip, and he waited silently. She kept telling herself over and over not to speak. _Don't betray them! Keep your silence!_ "I see you intend to remain silent." He hit her again with the back of his hand. This time, the ring he wore of the Deling crest scratched her face deeply. The pain was much greater, and she could feel the blood seeping through the break in the skin. It was a deep cut, and she was sure that it would scar. "That is just fine, my darling." He hit her yet again right on the wound he just created. She knew her face was red from the abuse, and when he retracted his hand, she saw her own blood on it. "I will break your spirit sooner or later. You are mine forever now, and I will learn everything." He laughed and wrapped his hand around her throat again. He released her hair and knelt down in front of her, forcing her body to move forward by her throat. The ropes that bound her scratched at her and cut her deeper. She daringly stared him in the eyes, trying to tell him that she wasn't afraid, but her eyes were distracted by his other hand and the long silver knife he now held at her chin.

"I am not afraid to beat you until you obey me in every way." He pushed the flat of the blade against her skin. It was cool, but she couldn't help feeling terrified. He moved the blade slowly up her face, careful not to cut her but still keeping it threateningly against her skin. He stopped just above her cheekbone. "You will submit to me. You will be my slave."

She thought about saying that she would never do such a thing, that she would never give him the satisfaction of winning over her, but she kept silent. The blade that was pressed against her face prompted her to keep her mouth shut. Cabait was crazy. Everyone knew that, and she would not test him. She would just keep her silence and not tell him a thing.

"Tell me, dammit!" he exclaimed, pulling away the knife and smacking her again. She had completely forgotten about the cut in the right side of her face and did not feel the blood that was still dripping down her face. She could only remember the feel of the cold blade pressed forcibly against her skin and his hand as it struck her.

"You haven't even asked a question," she said breathlessly. As the words left her mouth, she knew they had been a mistake.

"What?" he demanded, still using that smooth voice, but she could immediately identify the danger.

"You want me to tell you everything, but everything is not a question. You must be specific." She didn't know why she was even still speaking. She knew she should be keeping her mouth shut. She would anger him, and although she had never seen his darker side, she knew that it was something to be avoided.

"I should be specific, you say?" he asked and that wicked smile was back. She swallowed hard and suddenly knew that she had made a grave mistake. He was plotting something, and it would be something completely against her. He stood and walked around her. Chills ran up over her body and she felt his hand return to her shoulder that now ached. She felt the scratch of the tip of the blade on the back of her neck. He was moving it against her skin, taunting her.

"What question should I ask you?" he asked her, creating some kind of game that she realized he would make her play. She retained her silence as long as she could. "How about this: how did you escape, Rinoa?"

"Rinoa is dead," she whispered weakly. He knew now. Before she thought maybe he still thought of her as the leader of the Underground.

"Then explain how you sit here before me?" he asked. She could tell by his voice that he was smiling at her.

"Rinoa is dead," she repeated again, but even she didn't believe it. So she knew he didn't.

"Oh, my darling." His hand released her shoulder and stroked her still stinging cheek. She shuddered uncontrollably. "Alexis told me everything, and while you were _peacefully sleeping_, I took my own test. I know who you are. You can continue to deny it, but it still will not save you." He continued to stroke her cheek. "Now tell me: how did you escape?"

She really felt like she couldn't breathe and panted as she said to him, " Get this through your thick skull: I will tell you nothing." She glared forward and tried to sound as completely strong and determined as she could. She succeeded, or at least she thought she had.

"You wench!" he snarled. She thought she could feel a storm brewing behind his voice. This was going to end badly, and she knew it. Oh, she knew it, and she felt it when his hand struck her again. He hit her not once, not twice, but three brutal times, and each blow felt like time was moving in slow motion and each was longer and harder than the one before. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him. "You seem to be mistaken, my _pet._ You are under my mercy! So tell me what I need to know!"

"What's the point?" she asked through grit teeth.

"What?" He gripped her chin tighter.

"What will it change? It's already happened, so what's the point?" She had to force the words out as she glared down at her. The look in his eyes was terrifying, and she could feel her strength draining away.

He slightly loosened his grip, and she thought that maybe he understood what she meant until her grabbed her tighter than before. "It may change nothing, but I still demand to know how you managed to best me!"

She closed her eyes, not out of weakness or fear but simply because she was getting terribly sick of looking at him. His eyes were crazy, and she was certain that she was dealing with a madman who would soon take advantage of her in almost everyway. She didn't even want to think about that. Yes, she knew he lusted after her. She could tell in both his actions and his words, but she would not give in.

"Tell me," he snarled and held her tighter, and she felt him lean closer to her. She could smell his musty odor. He smelled like death.

She couldn't resist the opportunity to be a complete smartass, despite the fact that she knew it would result in the probability of more beatings. "I can't with you trying to crush part of my face." And she was right. He released her, but it was only to hit her three more times, this time not just limiting them to her face. He hit her just below her neck, smashing the necklace into her skin. She heard the soft break of the chain and felt it slide down beneath her clothing.

"Enough with your impudence!" he exclaimed. "You will tell me everything that I wish to know! You will no longer play games with me! I will make your life Hell!"

_It's already Hell. There's not much more you can do._ At least she had the sense not to speak these words aloud. He would've had too much fun with them. "I play no games with you. I am simply maintaining my silence." She should've kept her mouth shut entirely and stopped talking long ago, but she was a glutton for punishment.

He walked away from her in a hurry, his cape floating about him. In his raised right hand, she watched him twirl the knife between his fingers like a deadly baton. She feared for her life now more than ever. Well, dying wasn't what worried her: it was the thought of having to live with him.

"I have given you fair warning, my stubborn beauty," he said darkly. He turned to face her again, and she was grateful for the distance between them. Still, he was able to scare her, staring at her like a crazed psychopath twirling the knife between his fingers. She knew she could expect more wounds before this was over. She could see the sick desire in his eyes to use his blade on her. He wanted to see her crimson blood. "Perhaps I need to appeal, as they say, to your better judgment."

She kept silent but couldn't help thinking, _Oh no._

He was coming closer. "What if I told you that our forces have taken complete control of Galbadia Garden? Or that we are planning to take Timber by morning?" He was circling her slowly now, prodding her with his knife every few words. "Or this one should really get to you: we know that Balamb Garden is without its Commander and its top team, and I have my own private force waiting just off the island to invade and take over?"

"No!" she exclaimed against her better judgment to just shut up.

He smiled. "I see that I have struck a nerve." He stopped at her left shoulder facing behind her with the blade sticking straight into her skin. It just pricked her, a dull pain so far. "Good. I think I can work with that."

He began twirling the knife, creating a small hole in her skin. No blood came yet, and it still felt just like a dull pain. Strangely enough, that's not what bothered her. She was more disturbed by what was going through his head.

"Now, you see," he was speaking with that dementedly smooth voice, and she could hear the smile. "I will give you an offer: either I release you back to your Underground hooligans and proceed with my attacks where thousands of innocent people will be slaughtered and Garden will meet its downfall, or you marry me tonight and surrender peacefully."

"Why would I even consider that last one?" she demanded, half disgusted.

"Because," He dug the knife in just a little deeper; she winced. "You and I both know that the Resistance is tiring. They have nothing left and have not gained any ground against Galbadia in months. This war is practically over. If you agree to marry me, I will release Galbadia Garden, retreat from Balamb, and end this war. I will allow Timber, Dollet, and Winhill to retain some of their Independence while still under my rule."

"How can you even offer this to me? Vincent would never agree! You have no authority!" she exclaimed heatedly.

"On the contrary," he moved away from her to the other end of the room, to the tall-backed chairs. He laid his hand on the top of the rightmost one. "My father does not need to agree. You see, he is dead." He turned the chair around, and she nearly screamed. Vincent Deling's body was slumped into the chair, blood was stained all down his traditional suit he wore. His eyes were open wide and glassy, and she saw that his throat had been cut. His many ringed hands still clutched the armrests.

"You killed your father." It was not a question.

He smiled a horrible, content thin smile that she knew would haunt her. He held up his hand that still held the knife and flashed her the back of his hand. "Indeed, and this ring," he was referring to a black onyx stone with a _D_ carved into it. "Means that I am now ruler or this country. Everyone is at my mercy, under my total control."

He walked toward her again, and she felt the chills take over her body. He was a complete creep, a madman. He'd killed his father and still had the body in the room. "I will fight you," she whispered, declining his offer.

"Now this carefully, _princess_," he returned to her side, still holding his blade. She couldn't help but wonder if that was what he used to kill his own father. "Think of those innocent lives." He stood behind her now, his hands returning to her shoulders with the knife now in his left hand, pressed down against her left shoulder. He stuck the tip back into the small hole he created, going deeper, breaking the next thin layer of skin just before blood would spill. "If you do not marry me, I will draw out this war, taking all those rebellious scum with me. I will hunt until I find them all. I will slaughter those who aided, then move on to wipe out all SeeD including the children and the Commander."

The last part was what really got her. This had gone too far. She didn't want to endanger Squall. He had so much ahead of him, and he would eventually forget about her. He still didn't know, and he wouldn't have to now.

"Now you don't want me to do that, do you?" he asked sweetly. She had momentarily tuned him out as she was lost in her battling thoughts, but the sharp feel of the knife going in deeper, cutting through more skin and a bit of muscle and releasing blood snapped her back. She made no sound but moved forward slightly and tensed to fight off the pain. "Do you?" he asked again, sweeter, and she felt the blade move steadily across, lengthening the wound. She bit her lip. "I will kill them all." His voice was growing distant as all she could think about was the immense pain. He shoulder was burning, and she wanted it to end. "I will hunt him like my prey, and I will devour him."

"Stop!" she screamed finally. She snapped her head to the side, looking for him. "I want your word."

"Will you become my wife?" he asked, still moving the knife through her.

"Will you swear to me to end it peacefully?" she demanded, panting and almost disoriented.

"Only if you agree." He stopped his hand and retracted the knife. Blood dripped off it in large, thick drops.

"For the good of my people, yes!" she screamed. "I will! But only for them!"

He bent over her and kissed the top of her head. "Good. You please me." He walked around her and set the knife carefully in her lap before disappearing from the room. She stared down at the knife, at her blood that covered it, and glanced to her shoulder.

Carved into her shoulder was a jagged _C._

She dropped her head forward onto her chest as a single tear slipped down her abused cheek and splashed onto the knife below.

A/N: Hmm…maybe I should have warned you guys in the beginning that this would be a tad bit graphic? Nah, haha. Tell me what you think! R&R! Later Days!!


	17. The Wedding Crashers

Well, it's been awhile, and I'm sorry guys. I've been working two jobs and trying to get ready for my second year of college, and I have neglected you all, but I'm back! Updating for the first time in a while, this may take me awhile but I hate letting people down, and I love this story too much to let it go.

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Square Enix.

_**The Force That Divides Us**_

_Chapter Sixteen-_

_The Wedding Crashers_

"Even the best laid plans don't work." Quistis found herself saying this over and over again as she watched Squall take command of an operation he knew almost nothing about, but he was doing it with such grace and naturally. He really was born to be a leader, despite the objections he constantly made. He had Cooper fetch him all available information on the presidential palace, Cabait, and the Weapons Facility. He also, of course, instructed Cooper to bring him the gunblade he would use.

"Even the best laid plans don't work." She was waiting, actually, for him to make some sort of comment, but he ignored her still, focused more on rescuing a woman he barely knew. And for what? So she could run away again? Quistis wasn't trying to be bitter or blame Rinoa. Hell, she knew more of the truth than anyone. But she also knew that as long as this war continued to wag, Rinoa would continue to fight until the Resistance either won or she died from capture or battle. Quistis hoped to Hyne that it was the former. She wanted Rinoa to come back home.

While Cooper was gone, Squall moved on to organize a plan of attack for the Weapons Facility. He'd already called Xu, and those teams would leave by midnight. Laguna also promised assistance, and both groups were to meet in Timer with the Resistance's Second in Command, Zone. As far as the destruction of the Weapons Facility, he would have a team of Selphie, Irvine, and Zell accompany Cooper and Amy. If anyone knew how to take out an important building, it was Selphie, and Cooper would provide assistance in getting them through to the control room while Amy, Irvine, and Zell would serve as murderous backup. Mika and Brick had already stated their preference of going with Squall and Quistis to infiltrate the palace. It was all set.

"What about Seifer?" Mika inquired. She had allowed Squall to assume authority, recognizing his knack for it.

This was the first time that Squall actually acknowledged Seifer. Earlier, his mind had been clouded, bent on finding Rinoa and demanding answers after he pleaded for her forgivness. He briefly stared at Mika, confused, before turning to his former villain. He'd retracted into the shadows, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed stiffly over his chest. No smart remarks left his mouth this time. He preferred the silence. This time he wanted to avoid another war between him and Squall. There was already enough going on.

"What do you want to do?" Squall asked him. He harbored no ill feelings toward Seifer anymore. If there was anything he'd learned in the past five years, it was to let the little things go.

He shrugged and avoided eye contact, "Somebody's got to hold down the fort."

"Don't you even care?" Mika demanded. Her dislike for him was coming back and fast, and with Rinoa gone, she could get away with telling him exactly how she felt. "After all she's done for you!"

"I never said that," he said simply. They were all looking at him now, making him uneasy. "Look, I haven't been on the field in almost two years. I'd be dead weight to you. I'll stay here." He turned his back on them. "Besides, she's not the only one who's supposed to be dead."

Mika thought about questioning him on what he would do if the base was attacked, but she would just be wasting time, and the Captain needed them. She knew Cabait was obsessed with her and who knew what he'd already done to her. So she merely scoffed and said nothing.

Squall nodded to him before turning back to Mika and Brick. "How soon can you be ready?"

"Immediately, Commander," Brick answered before Mika had a chance to. She seemed only slightly perturbed by that interruption.

Squall nodded, Make it so."

Mika and Brick removed themselves from the room, followed by Amy and Seifer. Who knew what Seifer was going to do, but oddly enough, no one really cared.

Once alone with his team, Squall relaxed a little. "Ready?"

"As ready as we can be," Irvine said more seriously than usual. He'd grown, too.

Quistis just wanted to say it again. No, she wanted to scream it. _Even the best laid plans don't work!_ It's not that she was being pessimistic, it was just that this plan had disaster written all over it. Squall was being fueled by emotions, and his emotions had a history of being unstable, which meant this was no good for any of them. They needed time to sit down and think, time to devise something that wouldn't completely flop. But time was something they had very little of.

"Squall," Selphie piped up quietly. "Will you be able to save her?" She and Zell had just recently found out about Rinoa being the Captain. She was still in shock, and the anger against Quistis hadn't hatched yet. Right now, she was more concerned about her friend's well-being.

"Yes," Squall said firmly, but Quistis knew that he had no idea if she was even still alive. He simply couldn't bring himself to say that he didn't know. He was clinging onto the false hope that just barely got him through the past five years. But he'd been right: Rinoa _was_ alive, but could be get lucky twice? Quistis didn't even want to think about those odds.

"Bring her home, man," Zell said, trying to force a smile. He hated this mood in this room and the war even more now.

Squall nodded but said nothing. He wasn't even sure if Balamb was still a home for her. Yes, she'd always be welcomed there, but did she even want to come back? What would be there for her? She's changed…would it be the same having her there now as when she was there five years ago? Somehow, he doubted it would be.

The remaining Underground members returned soon after, dressed in their battle uniforms of black, clinging clothing designed by top scientists for agility and comfort. Each of them carried more than one weapon. Mika and Brick both had more than three weapons and were skilled equally with each. Amy and Cooper were less equipped, but they had their own strengths.

Cooper brought with him a long case, and Squall immediately knew what it carried even before he presented it to him.

"It's called Redemption," Cooper said as Squall opened the case. He wasn't expecting much, but when he laid his eyes on it, he found himself both awed and impressed. The blade was simple but beautiful, and he sensed something stronger than he'd ever experienced running through the body of the weapon.

"It's amazing," he said. He didn't comment any more on his newly acquired weapon as there was no time. He nodded his thanks to Cooper and the Engineer seemed to understand his appreciation. In truth, he was glad that he didn't have to explain the weapon for he really had no idea what powers it held, but he knew that it was greater than the Lionheart. That much, he knew.

"Do we wait for you to come back?" Selphie asked as Squall and his small team prepared to leave.

"No," Squall said. "We don't know how long this will take, and the attack against the Weapons Facility needs to take place as soon as possible."

"Squall," Quistis sudden;y turned to him, worry clouding her features. "How are we going to get anywhere?"

"The Rag-" Squall started to comment on the airship that he was certain they had brought but logic overtook him. Alexis had to slip away somehow, and now he was even more certain that she'd taken it. He looked to Mika and Brick with help on this one.

Mike smiled and was the one to answer, "We have the means of transportation to suit both parties." She had to stifle a laugh. "I'm guessing she learned this from you, but the Captain made sure to have every possible outcome examined and ready, and thanks to Laguna Loire, we have a new airship that will get us to the palace in no time."

"And what about the others?" Quistis asked.

"Oh, we have a way to get us there," Cooper said. "Don't worry." Amy nodded in agreement and smiled.

Squall nodded just as Brick interjected, "We need to depart." He needed to return his comrades to their agenda. "Time is precious."

They all agreed, and Brick, Mika, and Quistis headed out. Squall lingered only a few minutes to tell his comrades good luck and wish them speed. He returned to the group and followed them to the back of the base where an airship hanger stood, and waiting for them was a ship that greatly rivaled the Ragnarok in speed and ability. It was a pale blue and slim. It immediately reminded Squall of Rinoa, and he was willing to bet that she had been the one to design it.

"We will arrive in Galbadia in a few minutes, but I suggest we land a distance from the city and approach it on foot. The less attention we draw to ourselves, the better." Brick said sternly as they all stood in the cockpit. Mika drove, and Quistis occupied the seat beside her. Squall stood farther behind the three of them, staring out at the horizon.

"We're coming, Rinoa," he whispered, softly enough so that no one heard him.

"One small problem, Brick," Quistis said as she fought off the motion sickness. "After sundown the guards close the gates around Deling City. That means no entry or exit."

"Well, we could always just kill the guards," Mika said with a twisted smile. They all looked at her.

"Mika, I know that it is your Galbadian nature to kill every living thing in sight, but we need to avoid commotion," Brick said with a hint of bitterness. Mika glared at him briefly before returning her focus on piloting.

"The sewers," Squall said suddenly.

"What?" Brick and Quistis asked in unison.

"We will take the sewers," Squall repeated. He forced himself to move forward and join them. "There is an elaborate navigation system within the sewers that lie beneath the cities within Galbadia, connecting them. There is an opening by the cliffs over the sea to the west of Deling. We will enter there and emerge behind the palace. The guards will most likely be minimal there."

"I hate sewers," Mika mumbled, and Quistis nodded in agreement.

"We'll do that, then," Brick said. He frankly, liked Squall. "Mika, I assume you know these sewers well enough to guide us?" He knew the answer, of course. She had been the one to get them through during their "Kidnap the Commander Operation." This was just to get under her skin. It worked, of course.

"Yes," she snapped. "But I hate those sewers, so don't expect me to be too cheery about it."

Brick smiled in spite of himself. He quite enjoyed this game. Squall watched him intently and couldn't help but wonder if there was something between the two of them. There had to be, but he didn't want to assume anything. He hated to assume, especially when it was none of his business.

"We have entered Galbadia territory," Quistis announced. "Are we ready?"

"Ready for anything," Brick replied.

Squall just looked away, _I'm not ready for anything…_

"We are now above the cliffs," Mika said. "Ready to land and commence operation 'Rescue the Captain'?"

Squall suddenly wanted to scream at her: _That's not her name! Stop it! It's Rinoa! It doesn't matter if she doesn't look the same! It's still Rinoa!_ But he kept his face as expressionless as possible and only nodded. No one noticed anyway. No one ever did. They were too busy regarding the mission at hand.

"Just how long will this sewer adventure take?" Quistis inquired nervously. She had not completely forgotten their last adventure in the sewers of Deling City.

"As much as I hate to say it," Mika said as the four of them stood above the cliffs. Directly below them, they could see the two openings in the rock: one had greenish black water emerging from it, while the other was bare. This had to be the path they would take. "This initial part will take some time. We probably have about 5 miles until we reach the heart of Deling City just below the palace, and we still don't even know where in the palace she'll be."

_ Or if she's even in the palace, _Squall thought sadly. He didn't know what they would do if she wasn't there. There'd simply be no way that she was alive.

"And I'm sure there will be monsters in these sewers, as well," Brick added. "So we must be on guard."

"Of course," Squall said as he lowered himself to the opening, thankful for his upper body strength. The rest of them followed into the dark, repulsive sewer. It was almost exactly as he remembered. "Let's go." And he led the way with Mika beside him. He was determined for this wasn't jst a rescue mission to save someone important, it was also a rescue mission of Squall's past, so it meant everything to him now.

* * *

Cooper, Irvine, Selphie, Amy, and Zell prepared to leave the base to fulfill their part of the mission, which was just as dangerous, maybe even more so. Cooper had to explain to them just where they would be going and how they would be executing the destruction of the Weapons Facility.

"It's crucial that we try to keep a low profile as much as possible," Cooper explained, taking this opportunity to show his complete nerdy side as he rambled on about the security system and guard numbers of the building.

"Dude! We're going to break into a highly guarded building and attempt to blow it up! We can't exactly keep a low profile," Zell exclaimed, annoyed. He kept glaring at Cooper, the comment of his supposed gayness still fresh in his mind.

"So, we'll keep a low profile until we get into the core, and then we'll cease to care," Cooper snapped back at him, sarcasm evident in his voice. Zell opened his mouth to throw back a reply, but Amy stepped in between them.

"Look, boys, why don't we, oh I don't know, get going here! We have a job to do!" She grabbed Cooper by the arm and pulled him towards the door. "I really think that we should get there and get started before the others break into the palace."

"What? Why?" Cooper demanded, doing his best to keep her from dragging him from the room.

She stepped and stared at him before looking at the rest of them. They were all giving her the same confused look. "Think about it!" she exclaimed, suddenly annoyed that she really had to explain. "If they get into the palace before us and the alarm is raised, then it's only going to be a matter of time before everything else goes into high alert, too, which will only make our job that much harder!"

"Amy," Cooper frowned at her as he folded his arms over his chest. "I really don't see that as happening, or even presenting itself as a problem to us."

"Yeah, I hate to disagree with you, darlin', but I'm siding with Cooper on this one, Amy," Irvine said, speaking for the first time in what felt like ages. "And even if that does happen, don't you think we're wasting time standing here talking about it?"

Amy grumbled an inaudible reply of some sort and stalked toward the door.

"No, wait!" Selphie exclaimed. Amy and the others turned to her. "Irvy, you may have a point about us wasting time, but we do need to consider the possibility, especially if Cabait is requesting developments on the project at the Facility."

Amy grinned, "Exactly! So let's go, ladies and germs!" Cooper rolled his eyes and pushed Amy out the door with the others close behind.

Cooper and Amy led the other three to the Underground hanger. "We will be taking a much smaller ship," Cooper said. They walked past the empty spot left from the other group and past land and assault vehicles that the other three had never seen before, let alone even knew how to drive. "In fact, we won't even be traveling by air at all." He led them down the long hanger, and as they approached what looked like the end, they could hear the soft rushing of water.

"Boat?" Selphie asked, not even bothering to conceal the excitement that had leaked into her voice.

"Exactly," Cooper said. They all stopped at the edge. A small panel stood in front of Cooper, and he pressed a small, unmarked black button. A grinding noise immediately followed and a long submarine vessel emerged from below the water. A ramp extended and a hatch on top was released. "This is the fastest water vessel on the planet. It can get us to Galbadia in less than 20 minutes. And lucky for us, the Weapons Facility is located just a few miles south of the site of the military base that was destroyed about six years ago, which means it's close to the coast."

At the mention of the military base, Irvine and Zell both looked at Selphie. She grinned broadly, "What?" She giggled and jumped onto the ramp. "Let's go!" she said and lowered herself into the hatch. The others followed with no response. Amy and Cooper were slightly confused at the exchange between the three SeeDs.

* * *

"I hate sewers," Quistis said as the four of them traveled through the sewer. So far it had been a very quiet journey. Last time, this place had been crawling with monsters, but now, they just marched along, following what seemed to be the most obvious path to Deling City. It wasn't hard; there were signs at turns that directed any "travelers."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Mika said, uneasy. She kept her hands free just in case she would need to quickly grab for her twin blades that were strapped on her back.

"Tell me about it," Quistis mumbled. "I think I just stepped in it."

"No," Mika shook her head. "It's took quiet here. We should have run into some monsters by now, but so far there's been nothing. It makes me think that something big and terrifying will be waiting for us at the end." She moved one hand to grip the back of her neck, paranoia setting in.

"A monster will be waiting at the end," Squall said, seriously from the front of the pack. "It will be in the form of Cabait." He could feel the anger building steadily within him. He will kill Cabait. He had established that long ago and was now restating the fact. Cabait would especially suffer if Rinoa was dead.

"We are now under Deling City," Brick announced. "Now, we prepare for anything."

They walked on for a few more minutes until they happened upon a ladder. Looking above them, they saw the manhole. That would be their exit, and Quistis was personally glad that she would soon be able to breathe fresh air again. They did not speak but climbed the ladder, Squall first, followed by Quistis, then Mika, and finally Brick. Squall pushed the manhole off and looked around quickly. They were directly behind the palace and it was dark and silent. So far, there were no guards.

"This isn't good," Mika said as she pulled herself out of the sewer. "We should be confronted by now." She pulled out one blade and held it close.

"Count your blessings," Brick said sternly. He and Squall drew their weapons as well and moved in the direction of the palace, looking for an appropriate entrance. It really wouldn't be wise to just waltz through the front gates. Someone would be bound to recognize them and that would be the end of their stealth plan.

Squall must have been thinking the same thing because he pointed to a side door. "The servant's entrance," he whispered to Brick.

"Perfect," Brick nodded and turned to Mika. "Ready?"

"It's showtime!" she grinned wickedly, now holding out both blades. "We'll lead the way." Squall saw the look of vengence in her eyes and said nothing, stepping only to the side to signify his and Quistis' understand. Mika and Brick led the way to the servant's entrance that led to the first floor of the palace's East Wing. It would get them in, but from there none of them had any idea where to go or even where to look. The Palace had dozens and dozens of rooms.

The servant's entrance led them to a long hall with rooms on either side. At the very end, they could see a door that stood slightly ajar with a warm glow surrounding it. That had to be the kitchen, and Brick pointed to it, telling them that they should go through there.

"Wait!" Squall hissed sharply. "The less attention we bring, the better. Put away your weapons!' They did so with only Mika disturbed by the order, and they continued on.

The kitchen was massive, ten time bigger than the one at Balamb Garden. Only a few servants bustled about, mostly just cleaning up and finishing those last few daily tasks before retiring to sleep in a room with a dozen others on rat eaten, musty cots by an empty fire, but they seemed happy enough, despite their living conditions. The four warriors were able to slip through the kitchen without too much notice, but as they passed two male servants by the washing sink, they heard what would be of much use to them.

"Master Cabait seemed to be in a rather joyful mood at dinner tonight," a tall, dark-haired servant said as he scrubbed away at a large cooking pot.

"Yes, I noticed that as well," the other, shorter one replied, wiping down newly cleaned dishes with a holey rag. "He didn't kick me as hard tonight."

Squall motioned for his comrades to hide behind a pillar cluttered with pots and pans and listened.

"I wonder what had him in such high spirits?" the tall one wondered.

"I dunno, but I think it may have had something to do with the return of Lady Alexis. He does love her dearly," the short one replied, grinning to his companion.

"You are mistaken," the tall one shook his head. "Master Cabait loves no one. He only loves power, and would kill even his sister to get more. Although he did seem joyful at her presence."

Squall looked to Quistis and mouthed, _His sister?_ He had to control his anger. She'd lied to all of them.

"It's a shame Deling wasn't at dinner. He would've loved to see his children together," the short one said.

"Oh no!" the tall one smacked his buddy. "It's not a shame! We would have been beaten for the smallest mistake, and I still have the bruises from the last time."

Quistis had to tug on Squall's arm to get him away from the gossiping servants. Mika and Brick had heard enough at the revealing that Alexis was Cabait's sister and had gone ahead. They were waiting outside the kitchen doors by the time Squall and Quistis showed up.

"I'll fucking kill her," Mika snarled dangerously.

"We have to find her first," Brick commented tersely. He was just as angry as Mika to know that Alexis had done this to them. She was the very reason they were all here.

"We're in the smaller dining room now," Squall said, looking around them. It certainly didn't look like a small room. A long, mahogany grand table sat in the center of the room with only six chairs seated at it: two of the side chairs were closer together than the other two, and Squall guessed that was where Cabait and Alexis had sat during dinner.

"I say we go out that door and try to find the audience chamber," Mika said, pointing to a tall, elaborately carved door on the other side of the dining room. "My guess is that it's on the second floor."

"We'll have to take the Grand Staircase then," Brick reasoned. "I only hope that no one sees us."

"Let's move," Squall commanded. He was growing sick of talk. He needed action. He needed revenge.

They exited the dining room and found themselves in another hall. At the end of it was an archway where two red curtains were drawn on either side. They could just make out a part of the banister from the Grand Staircase and knew they had at least found that.

But as they ran out, they saw, standing at the top of the stairs, was Alexis.

"I thought you'd never come," she said with a voice none of them had ever heard before. It wasn't the young girl's voice full of innocence and curiosity that she had made them fall in love with and trust. "I'd almost given up on you."

"Alexis!" Mika snarled. "I knew you couldn't be trusted!"

The accused just laughed, "Yeah, it's a pity no one believed you."

"Where is she?" Squall demanded, stepping forward. He glared at Alexis, and upon seeing his angry eyes, she faltered only slightly.

"Who?" she asked him with a slight, innocent smile.

"Where is she?" he demanded again, this time shouting at her.

"Oh, there's no need to shout," she said, sounding annoyed. "She's still alive, if that's what you mean. Cabait has no intention of killing her. That'd be too easy." Squall growled and ran up a couple of steps. He thought about driving his gunblade right through her head and hacking her body in two.

"Alexis, where does he have the Captain?" Brick demanded, backing up Squall.

Squall, now almost fully enraged, snapped around at Brick, "God-dammit, it's Rinoa! Her name is Rinoa!" He'd shocked Brick, but he didn't care. That needed to be said.

Alexis watched Squall defend Rinoa and realized that even though she was clearly the villain, he was still completely devoted to her. It simply wasn't fair, and she just wanted to scream her lungs out. Squall was supposed to get mad at the lying bitch and be hers forever, but no! He wanted Rinoa. Despite the fact that she had lied to him and abandoned him to fight a useless war, he still wanted her.

"Don't you get it, you stupid oaf?" she seethed at him. He whipped his head back to look at her. "Don't you see? She could care less about you! She left you and lied to you just so she could be the center of attention _just like always!_ She doesn't love you! Why can't you let her go?"

"You don't even know her!" Squall yelled at her, still defending his sorceress.

"I know more than you think!" Alexis yelled back, but her voice changed to something sweeter in almost an instant. "Squall, we got so close. Don't you realize how perfect we are?"

"Oh, my god," Quistis gasped.

"This just turned into a very sick love triangle," Mika said, just as shocked as the rest of them.

But none of them were as shocked as Squall as he stared at Alexis, thinking that he had no idea who she was anymore and believing that she had lost her mind. "We're nothing alike," he said as he shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe that he was hearing this, let alone be the one at whom it was aimed.

"Squall," she stared at him in a lovingly sick way, wanting him. "You and I are destined to be together. That filthy skank was nothing more than a tool. She used you. She didn't love you, and she can't love you the way I can, Squall." She held out her hands to him, trying to pull him closer, but he backed down the stairs. "Come with me, join me. Together we can do great things."

"She's lost her mind," Quistis said, looking up at Alexis, who was focused completely on Squall, ignoring the rest of them. "Alexis, what has Cabait done to you?"

"My brother is my shield and my teacher," Alexis hissed at Quistis. "He has taught me how to survive in a world that doesn't want either of us."

"I can save us all a lot of grief and time by killing her," Mika growled, her hand twitched, sharply slicing one of the blades through the air. Brick grabbed her shoulder, holding her in place. "I'll do it. I don't mind."

"We can't," Brick whispered. "We need her to tell us where the Captain is."

"Squall, be with me." Alexis kept saying that over and over to him, almost like a trance. But it only reminded him more of Rinoa and their very first meeting at the SeeD Ball.

"Alexis," Squall had lost all anger against her. Now, all he felt was pity. "It will never work."

"We had such chemistry," she said softly, stepping down several of the stairs. They were able to get a better look at her now. She wore a thin peach colored dress that trailed behind her, flattering both her body and her status.

"No, we didn't. We had nothing," he said. He couldn't even look at Alexis now as the realization dawned on him. "You lied to me. You took on the persona of the one person closest to me. I don't even know you. You're nothing to me. You turned yourself into Rinoa. I was already in love with her. You just strengthened that."

"No!" she screeched. Her eyes had gone wild and her hands balled into tight fists. She descended the steps closer to him. "That was me! I showed you me!" She pounded her chest with her left hand like she was trying to get him to see her standing there.

"Then who is this?" he asked calmly, now looking at her accusingly. He started up the staircase toward her, determined.

She faltered again, trying to search for words, but he had trapped her. "I loved you."

"And I _love_ Rinoa," he said sharply. "Not you, nor will I ever love you." He was being harsh while devoting himself to Rinoa.

"Why?" she demanded, now less than five feet from him. "What does she have? What makes her so special?"

"Let it go," Squall nearly begged. "You cannot take her place, and you can't be her. I may have never shown her just how much she means to me, how much I need her, but I will not make the same mistake twice." He drew his gunblade and pointed it right at her. "Now, either tell us where she is, or move."

The fire in Alexis' eyes exploded as she realized his choice. Tears streamed down her face and she released a high-pitched, angered scream. "Guards!" she yelled. "Guards! We have intruders!" They all looked around as guards appeared at every exit. "She is beyond your reach, and since you deny me, you are damned." The guards closed in around Mika, Brick, and Quistis. Squall kept his blade pointed at Alexis. "Kill them," she commanded and then disappeared up the stairs.

Squall kept his eyes on Alexis until she ran out of sight. Brick called to him, "Squall, Mika and I can handle a few measly guards. You and Quistis follow that traitor. Get to the Captain!" He quickly corrected himself just as Mika gleefully beheaded a guard that got too close. "Get to Rinoa!" Squall nodded and raced up the stairs, remembering which way Alexis went. Quistis thanked Brick and followed.

* * *

"How do we get in there?" Selphie asked Cooper as they all hid outside the highly guarded entrance of the Weapons Facility.

"We've got to break in," Cooper said nervously, feeling the distinct, sickening feeling of déjà vu. He'd done this once and really had no desire to do it again.

"No shit, Sherlock," Zell snapped. This attitude was very much unlike him. "But how?"

They at least had some things going for them: the sky was especially darker tonight and while, yes, it was highly guarded, there was something about the guards that made them think the guards weren't completely focused. They all seemed drowsy and even one had completely dozed off against the outer wall.

"Cooper, I really don't think we're going to be able to keep that low profile you wanted," Amy said as she watched those guards. All they needed was some action, and the five of them trying to break into that place would give them just that.

"We can do it!" he defended. "We just need a good plan!"

"We don't have time for a good plan," Irvine said, annoyed. "We've got to do this, and we've got to do this now." He cocked his gun and forced them all to get down. He aimed carefully to the distance, to a slightly wooded, hilly area across from the guards. He made the shot and the guards jumped and looked at each other. Irvine looked to his companions. "How's that for a plan?"

"Why did you do that?" Cooper hissed lowly as if he were actually afraid that the guards would hear him.

"Just watch and be ready to move," Irvine said. They all watched the guards, now seeing that there were six of them. They moved in the direction of where Irvine shot as a close group, terrified. It was obvious now that they were not even close to being soldiers. They fool-heartedly left the entrance unwatched, and Irvine hissed at them to move. They slipped into the Facility completely unseen. Once in and safely hidden again, Irvine repeated to Cooper, "How's that for a plan?"

"Shut up, cowboy," Cooper said bitterly, and Irvine grinned. "You've proven your point, can we get on with it?"

"Where do we go from here?" Selphie asked, looking around at this strange place. It was much different from the Military Base that she had the pleasure of visiting almost six years ago.

"We need to get to the core," Cooper said. "Amy and I know the way. Follow us." He swallowed nervously and tried this again. He'd really hoped that he wouldn't ever have to break into this place again, but alas, Hyne was not kind to him.

"Hold on," Selphie said before they headed off again. She jumped up and ran back to the entrance.

"What are you doing?" Cooper and Zell both hissed at her, but she ignored them. She hit a couple of buttons on the side of the door at the security pad before darting back to them.

"What did you do?" Irvine asked.

"Locked the door," she said with a grin. "That way they can't get in."

"Yeah, and we can't get out," Cooper added, nearly panicking.

"Relax, you big baby," Amy said. "Selphie and I have a plan."

"And why does that not make me feel any better?" Cooper asked, half whining as he shook his head.

"It's your hormones," Selphie said with another giggle.

This time, Irvine laughed, "Nah, we don't have to worry about that. Cooper isn't into girls so much as he is something with an electrical circuit."

Zell took a great liking to this, "Who's the gay one now?" he demanded of Cooper, who ignored them all and started down the right corridor.

"I suppose we should expect more resistance this time," Amy commented quietly as they made their way down the long corridors. "I wonder why," Cooper snapped. His eyes darted from side to side nervously at every intersection they reached, but he led the, straight. So far, there was nothing from anyone. There should have been a thousand guards by now, chasing them, shooting at them, but it was quiet. They could almost waltz down these corridors, and no one would probably notice. Where could they all be?

"What's at the core?" Selphie asked. If it weren't for the fact that they were here to destroy this place, she'd actually be interested to see what went on here.

"The core holds their data on everything including top projects as well as the System Control Mechanism. It's all high tech," Cooper replied, trying to hide his excitement.

"You'd think that by now they'd learn to put the system control in a harder to reach place," Irvine said with a tilt of his hat in Selphie's direction.

"Regardless of where they put it, Cooper can get us there," Amy said.

"How's that?" Zell asked.

"Because I used to work here," Cooper admitted. "I know where everything is."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zell exclaimed, a little bit too loudly. "You used to work for Galbadia and Vincent Deling?"

"Yeah, I left at the start of the war to side with the Resistance, though," Cooper said firmly. "I'm one of you guys."

"We trust Cooper to the fullest," Amy added, backing him up.

"Didn't you put that much trust in Alexis, too?" Selphie asked. Her question caused the rest of them to stop and look at her.

"Selp," Zell said with some sympathy. "We did, too."

"Yes, she betrayed us all and has caused quite the stir," Cooper agreed, turning back. "All the more reason for us to hurry and get to the Core Room."

"It's the same room as the one we were in last time, right?" Amy asked.

"No," Cooper shook his head and stopped again before a two-way intersection. Before them stood a heavy iron door, that was obviously locked. "It's through there." He pointed to the door. "Or rather, this is the way to it."

"Eh?" Irvine asked. He walked over to the door and rapped two fingers on it. It was thick and would be difficult to force open.

"This is reinforced steel carbonate," Cooper said. "It will react only to the touch of the Weapons Facility Director and the major scientists. Past this door is an elevator that will lead us to the bottom floor, eleven hundred feet below the surface. The Core Room is there, along with everything we need."

"Wow!" Was all Selphie could find herself to say.

"Yeah, that's grand and all, but if it only reacts to the touch of certain people, how do we get in?" Zell asked, confused as he eyed the door up and down.

"For that, I have a plan," Cooper said. He walked to the door and carefully, without touching it, inspected the sides and bottom. He then glanced down either hall. "For the past two years as a side project I have been working on a new type of bomb."

"A bomb?" Selphie asked, eyes growing wide.

"Uh-oh," Zell muttered, watching Selphie who was twitching with excitement.

"Yes, a bomb," Cooper answered. "Here at the Weapons Facility I specialized in impact weapons."

"Hence the name," Amy interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

"Not quite," Cooper argued. "More than just weapons development was done here." Her shuddered and ignored the bad memories.

"Go on, man!" Irvine exclaimed. "We're sittin' ducks here!"

"Standing," Selphie corrected. "Technically we're standing."

""Whatever!" the cowboy groaned. He turned back to Cooper. "The bomb, what about it?"

"Amy," Cooper said to his Underground comrade. "You have that bag of bombs I gave you, correct?" She nodded and carefully unhooked the small leather bag from her right hip and handed it to him. He pulled out one to show the SeeDs. What he held in his hand was no bigger than a golf ball. "This is an S-Bomb. It's a digital bomb that can be programmed to concentrate its explosive force into one contained area.

"You're planning to blow the door into smithereens, aren't you?" Zell asked, not liking this idea.

"It's the most logical solution," Cooper replied. "Unless of course, you want to waste time hunting down someone who can open the door."

"Point taken," Zell muttered, retreating.

"But wait," Irvine interjected. "Isn't it dangerous? Won't pieces fly everywhere and cause a huge mess?"

"I thought SeeDs were supposed to be fearless?" Amy asked, looking at Zell and Irvine with a certain amount of disgust.

"You'd be surprised," Selphie said with a giggle. Amy only shook her head.

"Anyway!" Cooper said sternly, turning the attention back to himself and his bomb. "In testing it proved that the harder he concentration into a confined area, the infected area would merely disintegrate."

"Disintegrate?" Zell and Irvine both asked.

"Wait, is that even possible?" Irvine demanded, looking quite nervous at the idea.

"Here, let me demonstrate," Cooper said and he moved to the door.

"HOLD ON!" Zell nearly screamed as Irvine protested something similar.

"Relax," Cooper said, punching a code into the side of the bomb and placing it on the floor by the door. "If this doesn't work, I have a Plan B."

"Well, you'd better hope one of them plans work," Amy said as she and Selphie both drew their weapons. "Because I think we finally have company."

From either hallway, guards were rushing towards them, shouting and shooting. Amy cocked her gun, happy for a little action.

"The bomb is set! We need to move!" Cooper shouted, signaling for them all to go back the way they came.

"Hey! I thought you said it would only affect a certain radius!" Zell exclaimed as he dislocated the jaw of a stupid guard.

"That's the theory!" Cooper yelled running away from the door.

"THEORY!" Zell screamed.

"Move!" Selphie yelled, pulling him back just as the bomb went off.

The sound was deafening, and Selphie, Irvine, and Zell all crouched and covered their heads, expecting debris to come flying at them at excessive speeds, but nothing of the sort happened. The smoke was the worst part, and they all felt like they were going to suffocate. When it finally cleared, they looked up to indeed find the door, and half the wall, completely gone.

"Ha!" Cooper said with a wide grin. "It worked!"

Zell turned to him, "Why do you sound surprised?" He coughed and hacked at the thick smoke that still surrounded them.

"Never mind that," Amy interrupted. "Your bomb has stalled some of the guards, but I'm going to guarantee that more will come. We may have opened the way for us, but we've also opened it for them, too."

"She's got a point. We've got work to do!" Selphie jumped to her feet and ran without hesitation through the new hole in the wall. Amy followed leaving the three guys standing out still.

"Hey, Cooper," Zell started. "Just out of curiosity, if that bomb hadn't worked, what was Plan B?"

Cooper grinned, "I was a major scientist here. I could've just opened it."

In that instant, Zell could have killed him.

* * *

Squall raced after Alexis, following her lightly colored dress through the dim-lit, long hallways of the palace's second floor. He kept his gunblade out and by his side, ready to use it in anyone got in his way. He wouldn't let Alexis escape. She knew where Rinoa was; she knew where his heart was, the heart he'd been missing for five years.

"Alexis!" he yelled after her, but she never turned, never replied back but ran, ran as fast as she could away from him. He knew she was wild with the brainwashing her brother had caused upon her. This wasn't the Alexis he knew, even though he was sure that he didn't know her at all, but he had to believe that there was some hope in her. But that was honestly the least of his worries. Right now, his heart was in danger.

He could hear Quistis behind him, hear the smack of her whip against the floor and the heel of her boots as she raced to keep up with him. He couldn't stop and wait for her without losing sight of Alexis, so he kept up, kept screaming at Alexis to stop.

He ran at the end of the hall where Alexis had stopped in front of a large double door. Squall skidded to a stop about five yards from Alexis. Behind her stood two people Squall had never expected to see again, Biggs and Wedge.

"Kill them!" Alexis screeched, pointing to Squall and Quistis, who had finally caught up to him. He could hear the distress in her voice and the tears. It hurt him, but he knew he couldn't let it get to him, not while Rinoa was still in danger, not while he was sure that she was still alive.

"We're sorry, Lady Alexis," Wedge said without much sympathy at all. "But we were ordered to come retrieve _you_."

"W-what?" she demanded, shocked as Biggs reached for her. She jumped back, tripping on the edge of her long dress, her pale arms flailing. Biggs grabbed her again, pulling her into a tight arm lock and dragged her towards the door while Wedge stood to face Squall and Quistis. "Take her to Master Cabait. He requires her assistance." There was something sinister about the way Wedge said that, his dark eyes narrowing at Squall.

"Well, well, well, I never thought I'd have to see _you_ two again. Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused us?" he demanded.

"Let me guess," Squall said blandly. "You've been demoted again." He growled in frustration as the door closed, and he missed his chance to see if that was the Audience Chamber or not. "Look, that's your problem, not mine. Now move, Wedge."

"Do you honestly think you can get past me?" the Galbadian soldier demanded.

"We've done it twice before!" Quistis yelled, snapping her whip at him. He flinched and jumped back. She had to fight off a laugh. Now was not the time to laugh, and she didn't need Squall to tell her that.

"T-that was different!" Wedge stuttered, still trying to maintain his strong demeanor.

"Squall, I can handle Wedge," Quistis said, jumping in front of him and smacking her whip again at the flinching Wedge. "You need to follow Biggs and Alexis. You need to save Rinoa." Squall nodded and didn't object. He could thank Quistis later, for he knew he'd see her. She could take care of herself.

He dodged a blow that Wedge attempted to make and kicked the door as hard as he could, not even bothering to check if it was locked or not. One side nearly ripped off the hinges at the force, but he didn't stop to check any more damage. He ran through into another hall with a staircase at the end. Biggs was pulling Alexis up the stairs and was almost out of sight. Squall watching for maybe a second too long before racing after the two of them. The hall was a long one, but it wasn't the Audience Chamber, Squall knew that much. He took the stairs two at a time and pushed through the door at the top. He recognized the sight immediately as the room nearly six years ago where he and the others had fought the statues brought to life by a possessed Edea. He could feel the breeze coming from the balcony just a few yards away, blocked only by the thin, sheer white curtain. He knew that was the way to go, not by memory, but by the scream he identified as Alexis'.

Squall pushed through the curtain and saw what stopped him dead in his tracks, his gunblade dropping to the stone floor. He was on the wide balcony, hundreds of feet above the ground, above the city of Deling, and standing at the edge was Cabait, holding Rinoa by both her hands forcibly, standing in front of a preacher.

* * *

"You just wanted to test your stupid bomb, Cooper!' Zell accused as the five of them road the elevator down to the Core Room. So far, they hadn't met with anymore resistance so far, but they hadn't reached the bottom or the Core Room yet. "You wasted so much time! You could've easily opened the door for us and therefore we could be halfway done by now."

"Yes, yes, I know. It was a dirty trick," Cooper said, while grinning and not looking even remotely sorry. "But now I know the capabilities of my S-bomb."

"Ooh, I'm going to show you the capabilities of my fist!" Zell exclaimed as he made a dive for Cooper just as the elevator came to a screeching stop. Cooper evaded Zell's attack and the martial artist went slamming into the side with a loud grunt.

"Come on, Zell, now is not the time to be goofing off!" Selphie exclaimed, waiting impatiently for the door to open.

"Tell that to Cooper," Zell said as he rubbed his now sore head.

"What do we do now?" Irvine asked. They stepped out of the elevator into a small hallway. At the end was an open space with computers and bright lights. An electrical humming sound told them that they were in the right place, as this had to be the Core Room.

"First things first," Cooper said, taking another bomb from the bag and placing it inside the elevator. He quickly hit the button to send the elevator back up. "We send a present to anyone trying to follow us."

"Um, how do we get back then?" Amy asked nervously.

"There should be an escape tunnel down here somewhere that will lead us to the cliffs that separate Deling City from the rest of Galbadia.

"Should be?" Amy demanded.

"Well, that was the plan, but I never knew if there was or not. I quit before I could ever find out." Cooper replied with a shrug.

"Maybe you should have checked before we went on this suicide mission!" Zell exclaimed.

"Calm down, Zell!" Selphie groaned, pulling him into the Core Room with him. "We haven't the time for this!"

"Besides, I'm almost certain that the tunnel is here somewhere," Cooper said, pulling out of his bag a small box. "And this baby will tell me where any hollow spaces are, which will most definitely be the escape tunnel."

"So what do you want us to do?" Amy asked, eyeing the room nervously and half-expecting Cooper to go back into "Nerd Mode" again.

"Selphie, you see what you can do with the computer in locating the self-destruct button. Once you've found it, let me know, but don't activate it yet." Selphie nodded and headed over to the computer, immediately typing away. Cooper continued, "The rest of you aid her if you can or help me. I don't think we'll have any company, but be on your guard just in case."

"Right!" Amy said, and she stationed herself just inside the room, watching the elevator, even though she was sure that no one would be able to use it.

No one spoke as they worked. Zell and Irvine helped Cooper search for the tunnel, but it was proving to be harder to find than he thought while Selphie typed away at the main computer, trying to find the self destruct button, but it too, was difficult to find.

"Cooper, I can't find anything!" Selphie exclaimed, searching through files that she could barely understand.

"Keep looking!" Cooper commanded while he still roamed the room with his device, which beeped continuously at a soft level. "It's in there! Just keep looking!"

"We're not having much luck on this end either, Selphie," Irvine said with a certain amount of sympathy.

"Cooper, I thought you knew this place well!" Amy demanded, turning to him. Her end was safe.

"I know the laboratories and the upper level. I've only been down here only a handful of times. Like I said, I didn't get very far before I left to join the Resistance," Cooper replied as he approached Selphie and the computer.

Suddenly his machine started going off right in front of the computer. "Oh, no," he whispered.

"What?" they all asked, coming to him. Selphie stopped her typing momentarily to look at him.

"It's behind the computer," he said, pointing to the computer as his machine continued to go off in a frenzy.

"Behind the computer?" Selphie asked, confused. "But how does that work if…"

"Ah," Cooper said, nodding his head. "I get it now. Galbadia must have planned this from the start."

"Planned what?" Amy asked nervously. "Cooper, what's going on?"

"They must have intended to eliminate anyone who would plan to destroy the facility, but also I guess if it has to be destroyed, they plan to take everyone out with them. Everyone who knew anything about what would go on here, at least," Cooper said with a small sigh.

"So what do we do now?" Selphie asked. "I can't activate the self-destruct if we can't get out. That would be suicide, and I kinda want to live."

"Me too!" Amy agreed.

"We improvise," Zell said with a sly grin.

Everyone turned to him, staring.

"How do we do that?" Selphie asked. "I don't see any way out of this, and we've blocked our only other way out!"

"Like I said, we improvise," Zell said. He walked to the side of the computer and inspected it carefully. He crouched down and slid his hand behind it, feeling for a space or something that would be useful.

"What are you doing?" Cooper asked.

"I have an idea," Zell said. "And it involves those crafty little bombs of yours, Cooper."

"My bombs?" Cooper asked, looking down at the bag he had tied to his side, much as the same fashion as Amy. "What about them?"

"We're going to use them," Zell said. He motioned to Irvine. "Get to the other side of this computer. Selphie, Amy, you guys pull from the front."

"What are you doing?" Cooper asked again with a bit more urgency in his voice.

"We're going to move the computer," Zell said as he and Irvine heaved the machine forward with the pulling help of the two girls. Still confused, all Cooper could do was watch. Once that was done, Zell slipped behind the machine. "The tunnel's here alright!" He yelled back to them, his voice sounding muffled. "Selphie, is the computer still working?"

Selphie tentatively tapped a finger on the keyboard. The screen flashed again. "Yes," she answered. "But it's telling me the power level is low."

"So it can run on battery?" Cooper asked, mostly to himself, amazed.

"The wall must have acted as its source of power," Zell called back to them. "That means we have limited time!"

"To do what?" Amy asked. She was just as confused as the rest of them.

"To blow up this place," Zell said as he stuck his head out from behind the machine. "Cooper, get all your bombs that you have left and program them to blast the biggest radius that they can are the perimeter of this room excluding the computer!"

"What?" Cooper exclaimed. "That's crazy! The blast will-,"

But Zell cut him off, "I don't care about the technicalities. You have to trust me on this one." Cooper sighed but nodded. "If you have a time setting on them, set them for the maximum time." Cooper nodded again and set to work. "Selphie," Zell looked to her. "Have you located the self-destruct yet?"

Selphie was staring nervously at the screen, "Um, yeah, but we have a problem."

"What?" they all asked.

"When we pulled it out, the computer automatically went into self-destruct with a 15 minute timer and right now, we have about 13 and half minutes to get the hell out of here!" Selphie looked nervously at the screen.

"That'll have to work!" Zell exclaimed. "Irvine, Selphie, Amy, get into the tunnel and just start running. Don't stop!" He moved out of the way to allow the three of them to get past him. "Cooper, how are you coming with those bombs?"

"I'm on the last one," Cooper called from the entrance of the room. He clicked it into place. "There!"

"Alright, come on and let's get the hell out of here before we're turned to dust!" He motioned for Cooper to get into the tunnel. Once he was safely past, Zell followed into the darkness of the tunnel, running as fast as he could behind the rest of them, hoping that he had enough time for them to get out safely.

* * *

Squall couldn't believe his shock as he stood out on the dark balcony. Cabait held Rinoa close to him, dressed in a beautiful white wedding gown of ancient Galbadian style, but he could tell that she was uncomfortable and scared. He looked into her eyes and knew that it was Rinoa there, his Rinoa. He had found his heart, but it wasn't out of the red zone yet.

"Well, well, well, Commander Leonhart," Cabait said with fake enthusiasm, releasing Rinoa, who dropped to her knees. Squall noticed something was wrong with her. She looked weakened, and he saw he red spots leaking through the bright white of her dress. She was hurt, and that only fueled Squall's fire. "What a pleasure." He stepped down off the upped level of the balcony towards Squall. "Alexis, my dear sister, you were certainly right about the Commander following us." Cabait turned to his right where, in the shadows, Biggs held a still struggling Alexis. Cabait motioned with two fingers for Biggs to bring her closer, and the soldier obliged, bringing Alexis to stand on the other side of Cabait. "It's only a shame that you were not the one for whom he came."

Alexis looked up at her brother with eyes full of hatred, "Do not mock my pain, Cabait."

"Ha!" the new ruler laughed bitterly. "Alexis, you were always in pain, and therefore I always mocked you." He then waved his hand to signify that he was done with Alexis and turned his attention back to Squall, who had used the interruption to retrieve his gunblade.

"Release them, Cabait!" Squall ordered, grinding his teeth.

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that," Cabait said with his wicked grin. "For you see, I need them both." He turned and motioned to both his sister and Rinoa, still on her knees, weakened. "As I'm sure you have been able to figure out by now, we were just in the middle of a wedding ceremony."

Squall felt his blood grow hotter, and he forced himself to look away from Rinoa, "It ends now, Cabait."

But before Cabait could state otherwise, a meek sound reached them both, "No." It was Rinoa, and she was forcing herself to struggle to her feet. She stumbled forward, panting, and Squall saw the scratches down her face and even more blood. He didn't need to figure out that Cabait had beaten her. "Squall, no. Get away!" Her eyes pleaded with him, and he was taken aback at her protest. This couldn't be what she wanted. "Squall, get back to the Underground! Help them!"

"I'm not leaving without you!" he growled, refusing to move.

"Then, by all means," Cabait said, his voice thick with malice. "Stay for the wedding!" He stepped back up onto the platform with Rinoa and forcibly grabbed her.

"There will be no wedding, Cabait!" Squall yelled. A violent gust of wind blew through the dark night, rustling the layers of Rinoa's dress, and Squall was again reminded of the image of a ghost. But he wouldn't let her die. He wouldn't let it end here. He would bring her back. He would bring her home.

"Oh, but there will be, Commander," Cabait said. "For you see, I specialize in the weaknesses of others, and you just happen to be the weakness of both these ladies." He motioned to both of them and then snapped his fingers. Biggs then whipped out his sword and thrust it against Alexis' neck. She stood rigid, staring down at the blade with fear. Cabait pulled out his own sword and did the same to Rinoa. She only closed her eyes and waited for the pain.

"Stop!" Squall commanded. "This isn't necessary!"

"It is," Cabait countered. "And you will be the one to choose."

Squall never thought it would come to this as he stared at both Rinoa and Alexis in mortal danger. He held the key to their lives, but Cabait did not play fair.

"They both love you, Commander, and they are both of equal value to me in my plan to rule and obtain all the power." Cabait was grinning at Squall in a sickening way, enjoying every moment of his twisted triumph. "So go ahead. Choose."

Squall shook his head, "Let them go, Cabait. You and I will settle this man-to-man, but you have to let them go."

"That's not how the game is played," Cabait said. "Choose."

"Squall…" Rinoa whispered out. "Leave. He'll kill you…" Tears were starting to well up in her eyes as she knew these had to be her last moments, and Squall still didn't know the truth. If she only had the strength, she'd scream it out to him, but all she could say was "Get out."

"I'm not leaving without you, dammit!" Squall yelled.

"Is that your choice?" Cabait asked, taunting.

"No!" Squall said, shaking his head. "Let them both go, Cabait. Let them both live."

"No!" Cabait yelled, his smooth voice losing its calmness. "There must be sacrifice! You must choose!"

"You would put your own sister's life in danger?" Squall asked. "Your family?"

"I am my own family!" Cabait exclaimed. "She has served her purpose. I have no further use for her. But I will let her go to you, if that is what you choose, but our pretty Captain here will die." He pressed the blade closer to Rinoa, into the top layer of skin.

"Don't you dare harm her!" Squall yelled. "Let her go, Cabait! Let her go! You will not harm the woman I love!"

Rinoa's eyes went wide as she realized that Squall knew the truth, and she stared at him, apology written all over her face.

Cabait's wicked grin widened even more, "As you wish." And he released Rinoa who dropped to her knees again, but before Squall could rush to her or realize what had just happened, Cabait swung around and plunged his sword through Alexis' midsection. The scream was deafening and painful as he pushed his sister off the level towards Squall, who ran to her, realizing what he had just done. He caught Alexis in his arms and gently touched the wound that he knew was fatal.

"Squall…" she whispered through her tears and the pain. Specks of blood came from her mouth. "I…really did…love you…" She reached up to touch his face one last time before falling limply in his arms.

* * *

A/N: So I know it's been awhile since you all have heard from me, but I'm back and determined to finish this story, which I love oh so much.

This chapter was graphic and slightly disturbing I know, but I thought it fit well enough. And I had planned for Alexis to die from the beginning because I couldn't bear to kill off Rinoa. I hate her, but man she's important! Well, I hope you liked it! R&R!! and Later Days!

PS. I listened to a lot of music for this chapter, but the song that stuck out the most was "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls. It added a sad, yet touching note. So I recommend listening to it while reading. :)


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